Officials confirmed that all 67 victims from the mid-air fatal collision last week between an American Airlines regional plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter have been found, according to a Tuesday announcement.
Rescue teams have spent days trying to recover debris, such as the engine, fuselage and other submerged wreckage, from the CRJ700.
American Airlines Flight 5342, which was on its way to land at Washington, D.C. Reagan National Airport, crashed into a military helicopter, killing the 64 passengers, crew members, and three Army soldiers aboard.
This is the worst aviation disaster in the United States since 2001, and it’s the first fatal airline accident that has killed a large number of passengers for nearly 16 years.
Details about the DC plane crash
A mid-air collision that resulted in death occurred on Wednesday evening when an American Airlines regional plane, American Eagle Flight 5342, collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, just a few km from the White House. Both aircraft were sent into the Potomac River.
PSA Airlines’ Bombardier CRJ700 had departed Wichita carrying 60 passengers, four crew, and the aircraft.
American Airlines has confirmed that the plane crash killed all on board.
All three Army soldiers aboard the Black Hawk were also killed in the collision.
Images from the crash scene showed a part of the fuselage and wing emerging from the water as the recovery effort continued.
Donald Trump, in a statement on Truth Social about the tragic accident, called it “a terrible situation” that could have been avoided.
He later stated that he was “fully briefed on the incident” but didn’t provide any further information on what might have caused the disaster.
Worst US air disaster since 2009
The mid-air crash that occurred on Wednesday marks the worst commercial aviation accident in the US for the past five years. In 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3404 crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York killing 49 passengers, crew and one individual on the ground.
The National Transportation Safety Board is set to publish its preliminary findings within the next few days as investigators continue to work on determining the cause of this tragic accident.
The latest on the DC plane crash: all 67 victims have been recovered, and officials say that search efforts could be altered as new information unfolds.
