Black Boxes From Plane Found After Collision With Army Helicopter

A collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington killed 67 people, including more than a dozen figure skaters. The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members at the time of the crash late Wednesday. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter.

President Donald Trump said at a briefing Thursday that there were no survivors.

The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River. There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas.

U.S. Figure Skating previously confirmed that several skaters, coaches and family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the national championships that ended Sunday in Wichita.

Flight tracking sites and air traffic control logs show the Embraer E-175 was cleared to land at the airport’s Runway 19 and advised about a helicopter in its vicinity. It executed a go-around after its automated collision avoidance system ordered what is known as a ‘resolution advisory’ to avoid nearby traffic, which put the aircraft out of proper alignment for landing. It landed safely minutes later.

The military helicopter, callsign PAT1, was advised of the descending airplane. Flight tracking sites show the plane flew roughly 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the helicopter, a normally acceptable separation.

“We mourn the loss of our friends, colleagues, and members of our ALPA and Association of Flight Attendants union family,” he said.

Ambrosi reiterated in a statement what the NTSB has said — the investigation must have the time to do its work.

The president singled out policies meant to promote diversity and inclusion by the Biden White House and of the administrations of other Democrats, saying, “What they’ve done is disgraceful.”

Signing the memorandum in the Oval Office, Trump repeated—without evidence—his past assertions that federal diversity programs contributed to a helicopter and a regional jet colliding near Washington.

“We will wait for the National Transportation Safety Board to complete its work and use that information to help guide decisions and changes to enhance and improve aviation safety,” he continued.

She was responding to a question on speculation about the cause of the crash between the an American Airlines jet and Army helicopter late Wednesday just outside Washington.

At a press conference earlier Thursday, Trump suggested that the Federal Aviation Administration’s diversity efforts had made air travel less safe.

The president asserted his opinion even though the crash has yet to be fully investigated and there has been no determination as to whether the FAA did anything wrong.

“I can’t get over how stunningly clear it is that this was a preventable crash and this should never, ever have occurred,” Clifford told The Associated Press.

“There have been discussions for some time about the congestion associated with that and the potential for disaster. And we saw it come home last night,” Clifford said.

He said the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was “very unique" as it is not only located near the nation's capital but also is a highly restricted space.

That is according to Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.

“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” Koziol said.

“Even the crew chief in the back has been in the unit for a very long time, very familiar with the area, very familiar with the routing structure.”

The crew included an instructor pilot and pilot in command were experienced to the point where either crew member “could manage that helicopter by themselves.”

The instructor pilot, who was serving as pilot-in-command, had about 1,000 flight hours, Koziol said. The instructor pilot was evaluating the second pilot—who was also qualified as a pilot in command—for that night training flight and the pilot who was being evaluated had about 500 flight hours, Koziol said.

All three military personnel on board were killed in the midair collision between their helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet late Wednesday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport just outside Washington.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, who was sworn in earlier this week, was asked if he could reassure Americans that the United States still has the safest airspace in the world.

“As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly,” Trump said at a press briefing Thursday.

“Sadly, there are no survivors” of the crash, he said.

Trump said it was still not clear what led to the crash. He said the U.S. miliary and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Every “available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue” has been deployed to join other agencies, said Secretary Kristi Noem of the Department of Homeland Security.

“We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders,” Noem said on the social media platform X.

In a statement, the Coast Guard says its pollution crews have been mobilized and are ready to respond if necessary.

“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,” he said on Truth Social.

Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter during a training flight, an Army official said.

Duffy also said passengers should be “assured” that flying is safe.

The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.

Asked if that was everyone aboard, Waltz said, “That’s what it’s looking like.”

Raza said he was waiting for the plane when his wife texted that her flight was 20 minutes from landing.

When his messages failed to be delivered he became concerned.

“That’s when I realized something might be up,” Raza told WUSA-TV.

His 26-year-old wife, who he didn’t name, had flown to Wichita, Kansas, for work.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters Thursday that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were aboard the plane.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.

He did not give details on how many fatalities there were.

Images showed boats around a partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage.

Helicopters flew overhead with powerful search lights scanning the murky waters, while emergency vehicles lit up the banks of the Potomac in a long line of blinking red lights.

The organization confirmed that “several members of the skating community” were on the flight. It did not provide more details.

“I can’t say anything about the rescue operation right now,” said Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, as reporters continue to press for updates on the passengers.

She also declined to comment on the condition of aircraft, which remains submerged in the Potomac River.

John Donnelly, head of DC Fire and EMS, said 300 responders were on the ground in a response that started at 8:58 p.m.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who represents the state from which the American Eagle flight originated, said he had been a frequent passenger on the flight.

"I lobbied for that flight to exist, which it has been for a year," he said.

"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a clear night, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn," he wrote.

“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”

Earlier, he said he had been briefed on the accident and thanked first responders for their efforts.

Recently confirmed members of President Donald Trump's cabinet also commented on the tragedy.

Sean Duffy, newly confirmed as secretary of transportation, wrote on X that he had instructed the Federal Aviation Administration and his department "to provide full support to the [National Transportation Safety Board] and all responding agencies and authorities.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on the same site that U.S. Coast Guard resources were being deployed.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who now supervises the Army, wrote that the Pentagon was "poised to assist if needed."