Source: Andrew Harnik / Getty
News of the collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military Black Hawk helicopter at Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C., left millions stunned, shocked, and scared at the thought of the potential loss of life that had occurred. Today, in the aftermath of the incident, authorities have communicated the public’s worst fears.
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According to NBC Washington, it is believed that there will be no survivors found in the wreckage that is currently being pulled from the Potomac River. At this time, 28 bodies have been recovered of the 67 people who were aboard both vessels, 64 on the plane and 3 in the helicopter. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly addressed the media this morning, saying, “At this point, we don’t believe there are survivors from this accident.”
NPR is reporting that 14 of the 60+ passengers on the plane were elite figure skaters from the U.S. and Russia, coaches, or their family members who were returning to the States from training camp.
The airport will be back reopened at 11 am EST, according to the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, John E. Potter, “It’s safe.”
Source: VALENTIN RAKOVSKYCHRISTOPHE THALABOT / Getty
Many questions are lingering about how this type of accident could have taken place as the FAA and the individual pilots should have been able to see the potential for such a collision based on flight patterns. CBS News quoted an Army spokesperson who said that the Black Hawk helicopter was on a training mission and that the FAA, NTSB, and the Army are all investigating what led to this fatal tragedy.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the flight patterns of both aircraft as “not unusual” due to the congestion that typically occurs in the D.C. airways.
Via CBS News:
“Prior to the collision, the flight paths that were being flown, from the military and from American, that was not unusual for what happens in the D.C. airspace,” Duffy said.
He continued.
“This happens every day,” Duffy said. “Something went wrong here.”
Our sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those who died. Hopefully, more information about how this happened will be available soon.
