Residents of Wichita, Kansas, came together Thursday to remember the lives lost of those on board a passenger jet that crashed Wednesday night over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.
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The American Airlines flight originated in Wichita and was on final approach to Reagan National Airport Wednesday evening when it collided with a military helicopter operating a training mission from a nearby base.
Officials said early Thursday they feared as many as 67 people died with no survivors.
As investigators worked Thursday afternoon along the Potomac River for clues, Wichita Mayor Lily Wu led a prayer vigil inside and later outside of Wichita City Hall in Kansas.
"We come together, to pray for all families affected by the tragedy," Wu said at the vigil.
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The Walter family was among those in an attendance. They spoke to Scripps News Kansas City's Elyse Schoenig about why they wanted to be apart of the vigil.
"We really wanted to be present and apart of this so that we can be in prayer," Emily Walter said.
U.S. 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."
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National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy said as of Thursday afternoon that investigators had not yet recovered flight data recorders, but said the investigation is ongoing.
"We know they're there," she said. "They are underwater."
This story was originally published by Elyse Schoenig at Scripps News Kansas City.
