Officials announced Thursday morning that there not believed to be any survivors from the crash that occurred late Wednesday night in the Washington D.C. area as a passenger was on final approach to the Reagan National Airport.
An American Airlines flight out of Wichita, Kansas collided midair around 9pm Wednesday with a military Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River.
There were 60 passengers and 4 crew members aboard the flight involved in the crash, and the helicopter carried three U.S. soldiers.
Information is slowly becoming available about the victims of this tragedy.
Six of those on the plane had ties to the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood. Among them were two coaches, two teenage athletes, and the athletes’ mothers.
Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe told the Associated Press that a total of fourteen victims were returning from a national development camp following the U.S. Championships in Wichita.
“Skating is a very close and tight-knit community. These kids and their parents, they’re here at our facility in Norwood, six, sometimes seven days a week. It’s a close, tight bond,” Zeghibe said. “This will have long-reaching impacts for our skating community.”
During a press conference Thursday morning, officials explained that they have transitioned from a rescue to a recovery operation, as it is now believed that no one involved in the crash survived.
“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly.
“At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident, and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” he said
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that the tragic crash was preventable.
“Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” he said.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed his condolences for the families and loved ones of the victims and said that resources are being provided to them.
“This is devastating,” he said. “We are all hurting incredibly.”
A designated helpline has been set up by the airline for any friends and families of the victims who are seeking information: 1-800-679-8215.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also confirmed during Thursday’s press briefing that it was a clear night in D.C. when the crash occurred and that the military helicopter was flying in a standard pattern.
Duffy also took the opportunity to reassure the public that safe air travel is the expectation in America, and that officials will continue to seek answers about what happened Wednesday night.
“Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely. That when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn’t happen last night,” Duffy said. “We will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly, you are safe.”
President Donald Trump (R) spoke from the White House press briefing room around 11:30am Thursday, beginning his remarks with a moment of silence for the victims.
“This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capitol and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions,” the president said. “As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly. We are a country in mourning.”
“On behalf of the First Lady, myself, and three hundred and forty million Americans, our hearts are shattered alongside yours, and our prayers are with you now and in the days to come,” he said.
The president also announced that he appointed an acting administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which does not yet have an official leader confirmed by the Senate.
Chris Rocheleau, who was recently sworn in as the agency’s deputy administrator, is now the acting head.
Trump also vowed to “restore faith in American travel,” citing an Executive Order he signed last week ordering the FAA to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices.
so lets forget all the near air collisions in the past 12 months and focus on just the last 4 weeks… mysterious drone sightings..biden admin knows nothing… followed by an executive order for an “iron dome” over the u.s…. and then on same day the trump admin declares the “mystery drones” are not a mystery and did have FAA clearance this happens….
January 20: FAA director fired
January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
Making America Great Again!
Concerning NoThanks post:
Air Traffic Controller hiring was not frozen. However, there has been a staff shortage at Reagan Airport control tower for some time. Hmm that means it was that way under the previous administration. So maybe it’s Biden’s fault. If we are playing the political blame game.
You really think that abolishing some committee and firing a director, neither of which are involved in day to day running of an airport, would lead to a crash 10 days later?
I have an idea – how about we wait for the people in the NTSB that actually know something about aviation to make their investigation and report on it, rather than scoring political points?