I landed at DC's Reagan Airport minutes before deadly plane crash... what I saw made my blood run cold

Flashing reddish lights and exigency services are not uncommon connected the tarmac astatine immoderate engaged planetary airport, and arsenic a newsman for DailyMail.com who has traveled thousands of miles, I should know.

But spotting astatine slightest 20 vehicles flying past the model of my terminal each astatine erstwhile earlier different 10 careered astir the country was a terrifying awesome that thing has gone horrifically wrong.

After a bumpy landing astatine Ronald Reagan Washington Airport (DCA) from Kansas City wherever I was connected an duty – with our American Airlines skipper informing of precocious winds – our locomotion done the terminal to hold for a connecting formation began normally.

Initially the archetypal fewer constabulary and occurrence vehicles didn't airs immoderate existent origin for interest – it's DC, a engaged country and possibly determination had been a aesculapian occurrence connected a plane.

But erstwhile the different exigency vehicles kept pouring in, each heading consecutive for the river, my humor ran cold.

Sirens continued to blare arsenic much rescue crews headed consecutive for the icy water, with disorder spreading done the terminal.

Armed constabulary appeared arsenic though they had been determination each along, whispering to unit members successful what appeared to beryllium a bid to support the calm.

An alert connected my telephone instantly sent my anxiousness done the roof, confirming lone that each flights retired of the airdrome had been grounded.

All anticipation that determination was lone a insignificant incidental was instantly quashed aft rumors swirled online that a tiny craft had crashed into a helicopter, and some were down successful the Potomac River.

My workfellow and I some froze, our fearfulness levels abruptly spiking done the roof.

We had conscionable been successful the aforesaid airspace, travelling from the aforesaid country connected the aforesaid hose little than an hr earlier the collision and had planned connected celebrating his day with a drink. How connected world could this person happened?

The archetypal reports made it dependable arsenic though a tiny craft had been successful an incidental with a constabulary helicopter.

But erstwhile it was confirmed that commercialized American Airlines formation 5342 had been downed the hostility successful the terminal was instantly palpable.

Questions implicit the benignant of chopper caused contiguous confusion, with everyone falling soundless aft the Army confirmed the engagement of a Black Hawk chopper connected a grooming mission.

My bosom sank arsenic we watched the glowing drawstring of reddish lights turn longer and wider, arsenic constabulary helicopters frantically flew implicit the water.

The quality dilatory dispersed done the airport, with galore wrapped up successful their ain satellite with headphones connected looking baffled arsenic they were mildly told they should publication a edifice for the nighttime by staff.

Boards showing the hundreds of flights acceptable to get and instrumentality disconnected from the airdrome were abruptly glowing red.

Those successful the terminal further distant from the incidental went from aggravated to horrified, with a deficiency of accusation from the airdrome itself meant galore recovered retired what had happened from online.

Footage of the incidental was instantly being discussed among passengers, with galore shocked that they had heard thing astatine all.

While we didn't witnesser the level crook into a shot of occurrence successful the entity earlier careering into the icy h2o with our ain eyes, watching the video implicit and implicit arsenic passengers tried to portion unneurotic what had happened was numbing.

The realization of, 'that could person been us', rapidly quelled immoderate archetypal irritation astatine being fixed nary accusation by unit connected what was going on. Relief filled me, we were harmless and that was the astir important thing.

But that feeling of alleviation brings genuine guilt for not instantly reasoning of those who were connected committee the flight, truthful adjacent to the information of the runway.

Many would person been texting loved ones that they were astir to beryllium reunited, and that they had landed safely, looking retired the model successful awe of the Capitol, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial.

The last descent into DCA is dissimilar galore others, the glow of the metropolis melting into the lights of the runway and the river.

It usually marks excitement of being capable to witnesser immoderate of America's astir iconic landmarks from above.

But the unsocial airdrome is present being overshadowed by tragedy, and an aggravated probe which volition beryllium forced to inquire and reply hard questions.

On Thursday morning, officials sadly announced that they bash not expect to find immoderate survivors and they are present successful the process of a betterment operation. 

Washington DC occurrence and exigency aesculapian services main John Donnelly said the bodies of 27 level passengers and 1 from the chopper had been pulled from the h2o truthful far. 

Fatal level crashes are truthful rare, you are 100 times much apt to dice successful a car, 3 times much apt connected the subway, and astir the aforesaid accidental arsenic being struck by lightning.

Before Wednesday's disaster, American airlines had not suffered a fatal clang successful astir 16 years contempt 100 cardinal planes taking disconnected with 10 cardinal passengers.