DCA - American Airlines passenger plane collides with Blackhawk over the Potomac River, all 67 on both dead, 29 Jan 2025

[Soulmagent]

Is there already a thread for this? I tried to look for it before I posted a new one, sorry

VA-Small Plane Collides With Helicopter, Reagan National Airport
I didn't want you to wonder where your post went ..I hate when they take mine away.

 

[kuromiiiilove]

No survivors expected after plane collides with helicopter over Potomac River

American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided midair with an Army helicopter, carrying three people, near Reagan Washington National Airport last night.

www.nbcnews.com

• A regional jet carry 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter in midair near Reagan Washington National Airport late Wednesday.
• The two aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, where a massive rescue operation is underway with at least 12 bodies recovered so far, NBC Washington reported.
• American Eagle Flight 5342 was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, parent company American Airlines said.

 

[SouthAussie]

You're making an assumption that they're prioritising the black boxes over saveable people.

I think within half an hour to an hour they knew there were no survivors.

This is a recovery operation, and retrieving the black box is part of that recovery, as it is for every air disaster.

MOO

The FBI has a dive team there looking for victims and evidence. Maybe they concentrated on getting to the black boxes and any other evidence, while the fire, EMS and police divers concentrated on the victims.


The FBI Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team (USERT) is comprised of specially trained agents stationed across the country who are tasked with searching for and recovering submerged evidence.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/plane-crash-dca-potomac-washington-dc-01-29-25/index.html

 

[kuromiiiilove]

VA-Small Plane Collides With Helicopter, Reagan National Airport

Thanks. I will request this to be merged.

 

[iamshadow21]

This title could be updated to remove “small plane” as a CRJ isn’t a small plane.

JMO

Well, it's smaller than a jumbo or an air bus.

It's small for a modern commercial plane.

MOO

 

[?!?]

Press conference at 7:30 AM ET.

 

[iamshadow21]

More than thirty bodies have been recovered.

More than 30 bodies recovered from Potomac River, two sources say

Emergency crews have recovered more than 30 bodies from the water after the air disaster near Reagan National Airport, two sources familiar with search efforts said. The American Airlines plane had 60 passengers and four crew members on board when it crashed with a military helicopter late...

www.nbcwashington.com

A temporary morgue has been set up to receive the remains.

Temporary morgue set up in DC to receive remains from air crash

A recovery center has been set up at the DC Fire Helipad at South Capitol Street SW in D.C. to receive remains from the Potomac River crash. Boats arrive at the area and ambulances transfer human remains to red tents, a sort of temporary morgue. The D.C. Medical Examiner is calling the recovery...

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[KariKae]

I believe we can rule out medical emergency. IIRC, the Blackhawk has both a pilot and a co-pilot. If one had an emergency, the other could have piloted the aircraft. Unless it's Payne Stewart situation

 

[sds71]

A dive team found what appears to be one of the black boxes from the mid-air crash near DCA,
@krisvancleave reports. Debris and human remains are washing up on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. Authorities have recovered at least 19 bodies. There were 67 people on board the two aircraft - American Eagle Flight No. 5242 and a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter.

Prayer vigil in Kansas set for 12 pm central.

@CBSNews
https://cbsnews.com/amp/news/crash-reagan-national-airport-washington-dc/

https://twitter.com/x/status/1884921362667463090

Temporary morgue set up in DC to receive remains from air crash

A recovery center has been set up at the DC Fire Helipad at South Capitol Street SW in D.C. to receive remains from the Potomac River crash. Boats arrive at the area and ambulances transfer human remains to red tents, a sort of temporary morgue. The D.C. Medical Examiner is calling the recovery...

www.nbcwashington.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1884925801721712967

 

[Warwick1991]

I believe we can rule out medical emergency. IIRC, the Blackhawk has both a pilot and a co-pilot. If one had an emergency, the other could have piloted the aircraft. Unless it's Payne Stewart situation

The altitude was too low for decompression to be an issue.

 

[Simply Southern]

I did.
The news has me confused . But they dispatched Charles county MD.

It was under mutual aid. The plane came down on the VA/DC line in the Potomac, directly in front of the terminal. I think DC and Alexander, VA were first on the scene. Moo

 

[steeltowngirl]

DBM - already covered

 

[IceIce9]

Well, it's smaller than a jumbo or an air bus.

It's small for a modern commercial plane.

MOO

A “small plane” is an aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds and passenger capacity of 4 or fewer.

 

[DS2021]

Is it possible that people are alive in the portion of the plane that isnt submerged?

 

[iamshadow21]

Is it possible that people are alive in the portion of the plane that isnt submerged?

In my inexpert opinion, the sheer forces involved here, no.

And anyone in the not submerged section of the plane would have been found and rescued very quickly, and all we're hearing with every update is no survivors found.

MOO

 

[IceIce9]

Since the Blackhawk acknowledged visualizing the CRJ to air traffic control, the responsibility of avoidance would be on the Blackhawk. Which is why I suspect that maybe the Blackhawk was visualizing a different aircraft that they thought was the CRJ aircraft control was referring to. JMO

 

[steeltowngirl]

DC Plane Crash: Reporter blasted for asking man to show v...

The news reporter has faced backlash for his actions.

www.newsweek.com

 

[IceIce9]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed>
Statistically, 40% of plane crashes have a possibility of survivors. So in my opinion, they will always look for survivors.

 

[DS2021]

DC Plane Crash: Reporter blasted for asking man to show v...

The news reporter has faced backlash for his actions.

www.newsweek.com

Good. Call them out. That was disgusting

 

[steeltowngirl]

Oh, no! Young people in the prime of their lives.

Kids under 16. It reminds me of the immense sadness I felt upon hearing of the kids and chaperones from the high school French club who were killed in the 1996 TWA 800 crash.

“Skaters who qualified for the elite division of the National Development Camp—which is typically for skaters under 16—stayed on until Wednesday, The Wichita Eagle reported.

Youth Figure Skaters, Coaches, and Family Were Aboard Downed American Airlines Flight

The skaters were returning from a training camp in Wichita, Kansas, held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

www.thedailybeast.com