DC plane crash investigators to review communication between 2 aircraft: senator

An probe into however an American Airlines pitchy carrying dozens of passengers and an Army Black Hawk chopper collided midair astatine Reagan National Airport adjacent Washington, D.C., volition apt impact connection betwixt the 2 aircraft, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said Thursday morning.

"What we’re seeing close present is what happens if you person a deficiency of connection oregon a misunderstanding," Rounds, who serves connected the Senate Intelligence Committee, told "Fox & Friends First."

Rounds said that investigators volition look astatine everything that happened during the flight, including imaginable mechanical breakdowns and avionic strategy failures, but helium believes overmuch of the treatment surrounding the collision volition absorption connected connection betwixt the craft and whether that connection was accurate.

"I’m definite determination volition beryllium immoderate 2nd guessing, but I fishy that erstwhile everything is done and the particulate settles the chances are truly bully that they’ll speech astir a deficiency of connection betwixt the aircraft," Rounds said.

LIVE UPDATES: AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE, MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDE NEAR REGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT IN WASHINGTON, DC

The cause of the collision remains unknown successful the hours aft the accident. Hundreds of archetypal responders conducted a monolithic search-and-rescue cognition for survivors successful the frigid waters of the Potomac River successful Arlington, Virginia. The cognition turned into a betterment aboriginal Thursday morning. More than 30 bodies person been recovered truthful far, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told Fox News.

The collision happened astir 9 p.m. EST erstwhile a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 determination pitchy collided successful midair with a Sikorsky H-60 chopper portion connected attack to Runway 33 astatine Reagan National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

PSA was operating arsenic Flight 5342 for American Airlines, and it departed from Wichita, Kansas. American Airlines said the pitchy was carrying 60 passengers and 4 unit members.

Rescue workers respond to the country connected the Potomac River adjacent Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport connected Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, successful Arlington, Va.  (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

An Army authoritative said 3 soldiers were onboard the chopper arsenic the craft was flying a grooming mission. The Army described the chopper arsenic a UH-60 Blackhawk based astatine Fort Belvoir successful Virginia.

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All takeoffs and landings from the airdrome were halted arsenic dive teams and helicopters from instrumentality enforcement agencies crossed the portion scoured the tract for survivors. Images showed boats astir a partially submerged helping and what appeared to beryllium the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage.

Rescuers connected boats work, arsenic the prima rises, astatine the tract of the clang betwixt a chopper and a rider level adjacent Reagan Airport. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Reagan Airport volition reopen astatine 11 a.m. Thursday, the FAA said. 

Rounds said portion questions implicit information astir the airdrome volition statesman to surface, it is important to instrumentality attraction of the families of those onboard the 2 craft and archetypal responders.

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"This is simply a unspeakable tragedy," helium said. "Right now, I deliberation we clasp those families adjacent and we deliberation astir them, we deliberation astir the crews and besides those archetypal responders that person been retired determination each nighttime long."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.