Everything we know about American Airlines Flight 5342 crash as '19 bodies recovered'

American Airlines 5342 was inbound to Ronald Regan Washington National Airport astatine an altitude of astir 400ft erstwhile the craft collided mid-air with an service chopper successful Washington

An American Airlines formation carrying 60 passengers and 4 unit members collided successful mid-air with an army helicopter successful Washington DC - with astatine slightest 19 bodies recovered from the Potomac River.

American Airlines 5342 was inbound to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport astatine an altitude of astir 400ft and a velocity of astir 140 miles per hr erstwhile it suffered a accelerated nonaccomplishment of altitude implicit the Potomac River, according to information from its vigor transponder.

A fewer minutes earlier landing, aerial postulation controllers asked the arriving commercialized pitchy if it could onshore connected the shorter Runway 33 astatine Ronald Reagan Washington Nationa Airport and the pilots said they were capable to. Controllers past cleared the level to onshore connected Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the level set its attack to the caller runway.

Less than 30 seconds earlier the crash, an aerial postulation controller asked the chopper if it had the arriving level successful sight. The controller made different vigor telephone to the chopper moments later: “PAT 25 walk down the CRJ.” Seconds aft that, the 2 craft collided.

The plane’s vigor transponder stopped transmitting astir 2,400 feet abbreviated of the runway, astir implicit the mediate of the river. US President Donald Trump confirmed helium has been briefed connected the "terrible accident" and acknowledgment exigency responders for their "incredible work."

What caused the collision?

It is presently unclear what caused the fatal crash. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the mid-air collision happened astatine astir 9pm section clip erstwhile American Airlines formation 5342 had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and collided with a subject Blackhawk chopper portion connected attack astatine Ronald Regan National Airport adjacent Washington. The chopper was connected a grooming flight, officials confirmed. It was a Sikorsky H-60 that had taken disconnected from Fort Belvoir successful Virginia.

Are determination immoderate survivors?

American Airlines said determination were 60 passengers and 4 unit members connected the plane. Authorities person recovered astatine slightest 19 bodies truthful far. The US Figure Skating confirmed respective members of its assemblage were connected committee the flight.

"These athletes, coaches, and household members were returning location from the National Development Camp held successful conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships successful Wichita, Kansas," the connection reads.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable calamity and clasp the victims’ families intimately successful our hearts. We volition proceed to show the concern and volition merchandise much accusation arsenic it becomes available."

There were 3 soliders onboard the helicopter. However, astatine the astir caller quality briefing, officials did not denote immoderate deaths but they each looked sombre. Sen. Roger Marshall, of Kansas, said, “When 1 idiosyncratic dies it’s a tragedy, but erstwhile many, many, galore radical dice it’s an unbearable sorrow.” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser would not accidental whether immoderate bodies were recovered from the crash.

Search and rescue efforts person been challenging, said D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly. The Potomac River is astir 8 feet (2.4 meters) heavy wherever the craft crashed aft the collision. “The h2o is dark,” helium said. “It is murky.”

How's the hunt going?

All takeoffs and landings from Washington's Regan National Airport person been paused until astatine slightest 11am section clip (4pm UK time.) Dive teams are searching the tract and helicopters from instrumentality enforcement agencies crossed the portion are flying implicit the country searching for bodies.

Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly says, “The conditions retired determination are highly unsmooth for responders” with acold weather and aggravated wind. There astir 300 responders moving connected the rescue mission, helium added.

What did eyewitnesses say?

Speaking to section media, Washington nonmigratory Jimmy Mazeo said helium was astatine a adjacent parkland eating meal with his spouse erstwhile helium saw "white flares" erupt successful the sky, and thought it whitethorn person been caused by a celestial event. He told WUSA9 helium "didn't deliberation overmuch of it", believing the lights were "shooting stars".

The section didn't recognize the seriousness of what helium had conscionable witnessed until archetypal responders arrived astatine the scene, with police cars and occurrence trucks rushing to the tarmac. He continued: "We didn't truly deliberation overmuch of it until we saw the occurrence trucks started going retired to the tarmac and the constabulary cars and boats. It was insane."

Mr Mazeo said helium was initially "very connected edge" and "very curious" and "wondered what the elephantine effect was for". He added: "I'm truly successful awe. Of people its unspeakable what happened tonight, but I deliberation that its brainsick we got to spot what happened. I'm praying for each the radical progressive successful this."