
Washington DC: Video of moment jet collided with army helicopter mid-air goes viral
A webcam at Kennedy Centre seems to have clearly caught the mid-air explosion over the Potomac
An American Airlines flight that departed from Kansas in the US collided mid-air with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport and plunged into the icy waters of the Potomac River at 9 pm local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday (January 29).
Eighteen bodies have been fished out of the river and rescue operations are on. Several fire trucks and emergency vehicles were quickly rushed to the spot, said reports. Three soldiers were aboard the Black Hawk helicopter.
A video of the exact moment when the passenger jet collided with the helicopter has now gone viral on social media. A webcam at the Kennedy centre clearly caught the mid-air explosion over the Potomac.
The Reagan Airport issued a statement that all takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Further, the statement added that the emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield.
FAA statement
Meanwhile, the US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 jet, operating for American Airlines, had left Wichita, Kansas, and was approaching Reagan National Airport when it “collided midair” with a US Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter. It also said that the Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least Friday at 5 am.
Also read: Washington DC | 18 bodies recovered after jet with 64 aboard collides with chopper
A nightmare
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall tweeted a statement in which he said they had received the “devastating news of what can only be described as nothing short of a nightmare”.
A plane, travelling to the nation's capital from Wichita, Kansas carrying roughly 60 passengers collided with a military helicopter. “My prayer is that God wraps his arms around each and every victim and that he continues to be with their families," he added.
Crash could have been prevented
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has been briefed about the situation. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the plane crash should have been prevented and raised questions over the control tower’s efficacy. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time, he added.
The US Army’s Black Hawk helicopter which collided with American Airlines flight on Wednesday night was on a training flight, an official told NBC News.