Jan 30, 2025, 8:49 AM

Dozens dead in US aviation incident in Washington

Dozens dead in US aviation incident in Washington

TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (MNA) – A passenger jet with 64 people aboard collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.

A regional passenger jet operated by the American Airlines’ subsidiary has collided midair with a US military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Wednesday night, prompting the suspension of all flights and a large-scale emergency response. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operating American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas, was on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan National when it collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter around 9pm local time.

There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft, according to American Airlines. The US Army Black Hawk helicopter had a crew of three and was not carrying any VIPs, a US defense official told CNN. The exact number of casualties remains unclear, as emergency personnel from multiple agencies continue the search for possible survivors.

According to the CNN, fatalities have been confirmed and rescuers have not yet pulled any survivors from the water, a law enforcement source said. The source says the plane is in pieces in the water and the helicopter is in the water nearby.

All takeoffs and landings have been halted at Reagan National Airport, the reports say.

Water temperature ranging between 33 to 36 degrees were reported in the Potomac River near the crash site on Wednesday night, AccuWeather said.

“At these frigid water temperatures, the human body’s core temperature quickly drops. Exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur in as little as 15 to 30 minutes,” AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said in a statement.

DePodwin noted that the waters in the river has been “much colder” than they were at this time last year due to “persistent blasts of Arctic air” in the D.C. area.

American authorities said that 18 bodies were pulled out and chances for any survivors were slim in the frigid water. 

MNA

News ID 227615

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