28 Bodies Recovered After Plane Carrying 64 Collided With Black Hawk Helicopter In Washington D.C.

Authorities say no survivors are expected after a midair crash between an American Airlines and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The American Airlines regional jet, carrying 64 people, plunged into the Potomac River after the collision on Wednesday evening.

It was gathered that the Black Hawk helicopter, which had three U.S. soldiers aboard, also crashed into the water.

Among those on the flight were American figure skaters returning from a training camp in Kansas.

Russia has confirmed that some of its citizens, including former world champion figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also on board.

Rescue teams worked overnight in freezing conditions, but officials have now shifted to a recovery operation.

So far, 27 bodies have been retrieved from the plane and one from the helicopter, bringing the number of fatality to 28.

The search continues on Thursday, with over 300 responders using rubber boats to navigate the icy river.

The collision happened around 9:00 p.m. local time as the Bombardier CRJ700 jet, operating as American Airlines Flight 5342, was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, broke apart upon impact and sank into the river.

The U.S. Army helicopter, identified as a Sikorsky H-60, had taken off from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on a training flight. Witnesses say it flipped upside down on impact.

Air traffic control recordings suggest that a controller attempted to warn the helicopter about the incoming jet, but there was no response. The authenticity of the recording is still being verified.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating what led to the deadly crash.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has stated that officials will review flight paths and take any necessary safety measures.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, while Kansas Senator Roger Marshall called it “heartbreaking beyond measure.”

President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the situation and praised first responders for their efforts.

On social media, he questioned how such an accident could have happened, calling it “a bad situation that should have been prevented.”

Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also offered their condolences and assured the public that authorities were closely monitoring developments.

Major air disasters in the U.S. are rare. The last comparable crash occurred in 2009 when a passenger plane went down near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground.

With Washington, D.C.’s airspace being one of the most controlled in the world, investigators will be looking into how the flight paths of a commercial airliner and a military helicopter intersected so tragically.

KanyiDaily recalls that at least 179 people recently lost their lives in a tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea.