At least 28 bodies have been recovered after an American Airlines regional jet carrying 64 people collided mid-air with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday evening.
A according to reports, all 67 people on board both aircraft that crashed down into the Potomac River are feared dead, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said. None of the helicopter’s three crew members were senior Army officials, authorities said. Thirty bodies were pulled from the water by Thursday morning, two sources told NBC Washington.
All flights in and out of Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport were paused until 11 a.m. Thursday. Video footage from the nearby Kennedy Center appears to show the aircraft conjoining in a fireball.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport,” President Donald Trump said. “May God Bless their souls.”
American Airlines said in a statement: “If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.”
