A passenger plane and a military helicopter collided near Washington airport, killing 30 people.
According to the reports, the American Airlines flight had arrived in Washington from Wichita, Kansas, where the plane crashed near the runway over the Potomac River. The plane crashed at 8:48 pm local time, at which time the plane was traveling at 166 kilometers per hour.
The Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft has a seating capacity of 78 people. After colliding with the military helicopter, the passenger plane fell into the Potomac River. Divers have been deployed in the Potomac River after the accident officials say that there were 64 passengers on board the plane that crashed. Rescue operations were launched as soon as the accident was reported. So far, 30 bodies have been recovered from the river and the search for more is underway.
According to US military officials, there were 3 personnel on board the military helicopter that hit the passenger plane. the Black Hawk military helicopter that hit the passenger plane was on a training flight. After the accident, all flights at Reagan National Airport have been suspended, while President Donald Trump has also been informed of the air crash.
The Washington DC fire chief says that the situation is not favorable for rescue activities, bad weather, and severe cold are hindering the rescue operation, and the rescue operation may continue for several hours. He says that there is no information about the survivors of the accident.
The mayor of Washington DC says that the Potomac River has also been closed to boat service.
