Washington, D.C., Fire Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said in a Thursday morning news conference that officials do not believe anyone survived a mid-air collision between a Black Hawk military helicopter and a regional jet approaching Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
The plane involved was American Eagle Flight 5342, which originated from Wichita, Kansas. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said 60 passengers and four crew members were on the plane. At least three people were in the Black Hawk helicopter.
Donnelly said that 27 bodies were pulled from the jet and one body was recovered from the helicopter. Officials have shifted their mission from search and rescue to recovery, Donnelly said.
President Donald Trump is expected to address the tragedy at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that it was a clear night and both the jet and helicopter were in a "standard flight pattern" at the time of the crash. Duffy added he believes the incident could have been prevented, but expressed confidence in flight safety.
"I guarantee the American flying public that the United States has the most safe and secure airspace in the world," he said. "We have early indicators of what happened here, and I will tell you with complete confidence we have the safest airspace in the world."
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas alluded to a grim situation during an early Thursday morning press conference.
"It's really hard when you lose, you know, probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously," Marshall said. "And I don't want to forget the pilots and the flight attendants who were doing their jobs and the military personnel... all those lives are so valuable.
"We've set up a special helpline friends and family can call at 1-800-679-8215... if you believe you've had friends or family on board American Eagle flight 5342," Isom said.
Isom added that the aircraft was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said the Army helicopter, based in Virginia, was on a training flight with three people on board when the collision occurred.
"We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir," said Joint Task Force-National Capital Region media chief Heather Chairez.
In response to the incident, Reagan National Airport has issued a ground stop for all arriving and departing flights. The airport said it is not expecting flights to resume until 11 a.m. at the earliest on Thursday.
President Trump and his administration are monitoring the situation.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls," Trump said in a statement. "Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
President Trump released another statement via Truth Social early Thursday morning.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
