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Washington plane crash: officials say no survivors expected amid river recovery Washington plane crash: questions arise over understaffing at control tower
(about 3 hours later)
Bodies of 28 people have been retrieved from Potomac River after collision of passenger jet and military helicopter One controller reportedly handled arrivals and departures, and also helicopter traffic – a job usually done by two people
A collision on Wednesday between an American Airlines jet and a US military helicopter near Washington DC has killed all 67 people onboard both aircraft, in the United States’ worst aviation disaster in years. A collision on Wednesday between an American Airlines jet and a US military helicopter near Washington DC killed all 67 people onboard both aircraft and sparked questions over whether understaffing in an air traffic control tower played a role in the United State’s worst aviation disaster in years.
The incident occurred at about 9pm as the passenger plane was on approach to land at Reagan National airport from Wichita, Kansas. Operated by the regional carrier PSA Airlines as American Eagle flight 5342, the jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and collided with a US army helicopter with three soldiers onboard, sending both into the Potomac River. As it approached Reagan National airport around 9pm, American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a US army Black Hawk helicopter, plunging wreckage of the two aircraft into the icy Potomac River and killing all 64 passengers and crew on the plane, along with three soldiers on the helicopter.
“This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions,” Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. “As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly.” It was the first fatal commercial airline crash in the US since 2009, and quickly described by Donald Trump and his top transportation officials as “preventable”, even as accident investigators cautioned that they have no answer yet as to what caused the tragedy.
It was the first fatal commercial airline crash in the US since 2009, according to Sean Duffy, the newly confirmed transportation secretary who was sworn into office the day before the crash. He added that he believed the incident was “preventable”. But a preliminary investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration found that staffing at the Reagan National airport’s control tower on Wednesday evening was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic”, according to the New York Times. The airport is one of three serving Washington DC, and like many airports nationwide has struggled to properly staff its control tower.
The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the helicopter involved carried “a fairly experienced crew” based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia that was conducting a “required annual night evaluation”. The understaffing led to a single controller handling both arrivals and departures at the airport and also managing helicopter traffic – a job usually handled by two people, the NYT reported.
“They did have night vision goggles,” Hegseth said, adding that an investigative team had already been deployed to the crash site and that it would determine whether the aircraft was in the corridor and at the right altitude at the time of the incident. The crash was the first national tragedy to strike since Trump was inaugurated last week, and at a White House press conference, the new president oscillated between consoling the nation and seizing on the deaths for political gain.
“It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life,” he said. “This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions,” Trump said . “As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly.”
Trump, who was sworn into the presidency last week, alternated between consoling the nation and seeking to use the crash for political gain. At his press conference, he argued that changes made under Joe Biden to requirements for hiring air traffic controllers may have been a factor in the accident. He then argued that changes made under Joe Biden to requirements for hiring air traffic controllers may have been a factor in the accident.
“We had the highest standard that you could have, and then they changed it back – that was Biden,” Trump said, implying that he believed these changes were made as part of diversity programs that his administration was vowed to repeal. “We had the highest standard that you could have, and then they changed it back – that was Biden,” Trump said, adding that he believed the changes were made as part of diversity programs that his administration was vowed to repeal. The president also singled out the policies of Pete Buttigieg, a rising Democratic star who served as transportation secretary under Biden, saying that “he’s just got a good line of bullshit”.
Asked to provide proof, Trump declined, saying instead that the conclusion was “common sense”. Asked to provide proof of his assertions about air traffic controller hiring, Trump declined, saying that he reached the conclusion “because I have common sense, okay. And, unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.”
A preliminary investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration found that staffing at the Reagan National airport’s control tower on Wednesday evening was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic”, according to the New York Times. The airport is one of three serving Washington DC, and has struggled to properly staff its control towers, as have other airports nationwide. Later Trump signed an executive order on aviation safety that rolls back diversity initiatives and repeated to reporters claims without evidence that these contributed to Wednesday’s crash.
More than 300 emergency workers, including divers, deployed to the Potomac after the crash, weathering high winds and packed ice for what was initially a search-and-rescue operation. On Thursday morning, Washington DC’s fire chief, John Donnelly, announced that the focus has shifted to recovering bodies. Buttigieg responded to Trump’s comments saying “as families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying” and said the Biden administration put safety first.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” he told a press conference. The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, whose chairwoman Jennifer Homendy described it as “an all hands on deck event”. Board member Todd Inman said they aimed to release a preliminary report into the incident within 30 days adding the black box recording devices on both aircraft had not yet been recovered.
Donnelly said that the wreckage from the aircraft had been spread out by the wind but that recovery efforts continued and he was confident rescuers could recover all those onboard. Of those found so far, 27 were from the plane and one from the helicopter. Over the course of the day, Trump administration officials revealed more details of how the helicopter and passenger plane might have crossed paths. The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the helicopter involved carried “a fairly experienced crew” based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia that was conducting a “required annual night evaluation”. They were equipped with night vision goggles, he added.
“It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life,” Hegseth said.
At the Potomac river separating Washington DC from Virginia, more than 300 emergency workers, including divers, weathered high winds and packed ice to retrieve pieces of the plane and bodies.
The Bombardier CRJ-700 jet operated by regional carrier PSA Airlines broke into three parts and was in waist-deep water in the Potomac, US transportation secretary Sean Duffy said.
He noted that both the helicopter and the passenger plane were flying in a “standard flight pattern” on a clear night before the crash, andit was not uncommon for military aircraft to be seen in the skies over the nation’s capital, including near Reagan National, which is located in Arlington, Virginia.
“Safety is our expectation, everyone who flies in American skies expects we fly safely,” Duffy said. “That didn’t happen last night. We will not rest until we have answers for the families and the flying public. You should be assured when you fly, you are safe.”
Washington DC’s fire chief, John Donnelly said that the wreckage from the aircraft had been spread out by the wind but he was confident rescuers could recover all those onboard. Of those found so far, 27 were from the plane and one from the helicopter.
“We will continue to work to find all the bodies to reunite them with their loved ones,” Donnelly said. “I’m confident that we will do that. It will take us a little bit of time. It may involve some more equipment.”“We will continue to work to find all the bodies to reunite them with their loved ones,” Donnelly said. “I’m confident that we will do that. It will take us a little bit of time. It may involve some more equipment.”
Several of the victims were in Wichita for a development camp hosted by US figure skating, according to the Skating Club of Boston, which released the names of its six skaters, coaches and family members who were onboard the jet.Several of the victims were in Wichita for a development camp hosted by US figure skating, according to the Skating Club of Boston, which released the names of its six skaters, coaches and family members who were onboard the jet.
“Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” the CEO and executive director, Doug Zeghibe, said on Instagram. “We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”“Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” the CEO and executive director, Doug Zeghibe, said on Instagram. “We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
Citing Russia’s state-run Tass news agency, Reuters reported that two world champion figure skaters from the country, Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were onboard the plane.Citing Russia’s state-run Tass news agency, Reuters reported that two world champion figure skaters from the country, Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were onboard the plane.
The Bombardier CRJ-700 jet broke into three parts and was in waist-deep water in the Potomac, Duffy said. Both the helicopter and the passenger plane were flying in a “standard flight pattern” on a clear night before the crash and investigators would work to ascertain how the accident occurred, he added.
Duffy noted that it was not uncommon for military aircraft to be seen in the skies over the nation’s capital, including near Reagan National, which is located across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia.
“Safety is our expectation, everyone who flies in American skies expects we fly safely,” Duffy said. “That didn’t happen last night. We will not rest until we have answers for the families and the flying public. You should be assured when you fly, you are safe.”
Muriel Bowser, Washington’s mayor, said that the passengers of the plane included “families from our region, Kansas and across the country. We share a profound sense of grief.”Muriel Bowser, Washington’s mayor, said that the passengers of the plane included “families from our region, Kansas and across the country. We share a profound sense of grief.”
Reagan National airport closed immediately after the incident, but flights resumed later on Thursday. A helpline for family and friends of those potentially affected has been set up by American Airlines – (800) 679-8215.Reagan National airport closed immediately after the incident, but flights resumed later on Thursday. A helpline for family and friends of those potentially affected has been set up by American Airlines – (800) 679-8215.
“This is devastating,” said Robert Isom, chief executive of American Airlines. “We are all hurting, incredibly.”“This is devastating,” said Robert Isom, chief executive of American Airlines. “We are all hurting, incredibly.”