No survivors expected in collision of American Airlines jet, military helicopter

All passengers and crewmembers are feared dormant aft an American Airlines pitchy and an Army chopper collided near Reagan Washington National Airport precocious Wednesday night, officials said.

American Eagle Flight 5342 was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crewmembers from Washington D.C  from Wichita, Kansas erstwhile the clang occurred astir 9 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Several U.S. fig skaters, coaches and household members were connected committee the aircraft, U.S. Figure Skating has confirmed to media.

“U.S. Figure Skating tin corroborate that respective members of our skating assemblage were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a chopper yesterday evening successful Washington, D.C.” the enactment said successful a statement to DC CBS affiliate WUSA9. “These athletes, coaches and household members were returning location from National Development Camp held successful conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships successful Wichita, Kansas.”

Traveling astatine an altitude of astir 400 feet and a velocity of 140 miles per hour, the level abruptly suffered a nonaccomplishment of altitude and collided with the. Black Hawk Army helicopter, believed to beryllium carrying 3 radical astatine the time.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks during a property league arsenic exigency effect units proceed to hunt the clang tract of the American Airlines level connected the Potomac River connected Thursday successful Arlington, Virginia. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The clang sparked a desperate search-and-rescue cognition involving much than 300 archetypal responders successful the adjacent Potomac River, each of them braving “extremely frigid conditions and dense winds” on with crystal during the overnight operations, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. told reporters. He said that the efforts person since shifted from rescue to recovery.

“At this point, we don’t judge determination are any survivors from this accident,” Donnelly said.

As of Thursday morning, 27 bodies person been pulled from the aircrafts.