Authorities in charge of the rescue operations after the collision between an American Airlines plane with 64 people on board and a military helicopter with three occupants have stated that the conditions are very challenging due to the cold weather.
"It's a very complex operation. The conditions are extremely harsh for the rescuers. It's cold, and they are dealing with relatively windy conditions," said John Donnelly, head of the Washington Emergency Service, during a press conference.
Meanwhile, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser pointed out that both aircraft fell into the Potomac River, and a strong deployment with around 300 emergency units including fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, rescue boats, and diver units has been mobilized.
Air traffic control recorded audio of the moments before and after the collision between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter. According to the recordings accessed by Reuters, a controller instructed the helicopter to pass behind the commercial plane.
Seconds later, another aircraft called the control tower saying, "Tower, did you see that?", apparently referring to the accident.
"Both the helicopter and the plane crashed into the river," a third air traffic controller is heard saying. "I saw a fireball and then it disappeared. I haven't seen anything since it fell into the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that collided."
Several Bodies Recovered, According to U.S. Media
Several bodies have been recovered in the Potomac River after the collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter, reported U.S. media on Thursday.
CBS News cited a police authority saying "at least 18 bodies were recovered," while NBC indicated that "more than a dozen" bodies were found, citing two sources involved in the case.
Air Traffic Controller's Audio Captures the Moment of the Accident
Air traffic control recorded audio of the moments before and after the collision between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter. Reuters has obtained these recordings.
LiveATC.net's audio captured the final communications between the three crew members of the helicopter - call sign PAT25 - before it collided with the CRJ700 Bombardier jet carrying 64 passengers and crew.
"PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller said at 8:47 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday (01:47 GMT on Thursday).
Seconds later, another aircraft called the air traffic control saying, "Tower, did you see that?", apparently referring to the accident.
An air traffic controller then redirected the planes heading to Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport to turn around,
"Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three," one of the air traffic controllers is heard saying in the audio around the time of the accident.
"I don't know if you caught what happened earlier, but there was a collision on approach to 33. We are going to suspend operations indefinitely," another controller commented.
"Both the helicopter and the plane crashed into the river," a third air traffic controller is heard saying.
"It was probably in the middle of the river," the controller said. "I saw a fireball and then it disappeared. I haven't seen anything since it fell into the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that collided."
The accident was captured by a webcam at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. The video shows the plane bursting into flames and plummeting to the ground after being hit by the helicopter.
Russian World Champion Figure Skating Couple Among the Passengers
Russian figure skaters and coaches Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the crashed American Airlines plane, as reported on Thursday by the Russian state news agency TASS and Reuters. Shishkova and Naumov, who were married, won the pairs figure skating world championship in 1994.
It is feared that their son Maxim, who competes for the United States in individual skating, was also on board the plane, as reported by the Russian news agencies TASS and RIA. Maxim had participated in the U.S. figure skating championship held in Wichita, Kansas, from January 20 to 26, according to the event's website.
Apparently, the couple was returning from the competition and was traveling with a group of young skaters. The Russian media outlet Mash published a list of 13 skaters, many of them children of Russian immigrants in the United States, who were believed to be on the plane, as reported by Reuters.
Inna Volyanskaya, a former skater who competed for the Soviet Union, was also on board, according to TASS. She was a coach at the Washington Figure Skating Club, as stated on their website.
Trump Blames Helicopter Crew and Control Tower
"The plane was on a perfect and routine approach to the airport. The helicopter headed directly towards the plane for an extended period of time. It was a CLEAR NIGHT, the plane's lights were on, why didn't the helicopter ascend, descend, or turn? Why didn't the control tower instruct the helicopter on what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane? This is a bad situation that seems like it should have been avoided. NOT GOOD!!!" stated U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.
Both Aircraft Fell into the Potomac River
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser mentioned that both aircraft fell into the Potomac River, where a strong deployment of around 300 emergency units including fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, rescue boats, and diver units was mobilized along the shore.
The mayor did not comment on the potential number of victims. "We are deeply sorry that families are suffering losses. We want it to be known that we will continue working with American Airlines to share information as frequently as possible and ensure that we obtain accurate information," Bowser said, as reported by Efe.
Collision Between a Commercial Plane and a Military Helicopter
An American Airlines plane, with 60 passengers and 4 crew members, collided on Wednesday night, local time, with a military helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington DC. Authorities have not officially reported the number of fatalities, but they have also not confirmed any injured, rescued, or survivors in the area, just above the Potomac River.
"It's really tough when you lose, probably, more than 60 Kansas citizens simultaneously," said Senator Roger Marshall from the airport during a press conference with other politicians and officials, assuming that there are no survivors.