Authorities are switching from a rescue to a recovery operation in response to the midair collision of a civilian airliner with a military helicopter, believing there are no survivors.
At a press conference alongside District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday morning, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly Sr. updated the public on rescue and recovery operations.
“Despite all those efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” he said. “We don’t believe there are survivors.”
Donnelly said 27 bodies had been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter. The medical examiner is working on reuniting the bodies with their loved ones.
American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a helicopter, which the Federal Aviation Administration revealed was a military Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60. The airliner had 64 people on board while the helicopter had three.
The FBI said there’s no indication of criminality or terrorism regarding the crash.
Reagan Airport suspended all takeoffs and landings after the crash, which occurred at 8:48 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday. The airport is scheduled to reopen at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Duffy dispelled concerns that the military helicopter pilots were inexperienced, given the flight was labeled as a training flight.
“This was classified as a training mission, sometimes people can think a training mission is someone who is inexperienced in the cockpit. We call these missions flown in the D.C. area training missions, as our pilots are getting hours of training experience. Don’t read into that,” he said.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said that the pilots flying Flight 5342 were both experienced, with six years and two years flying for another airline.
Duffy said that nothing appeared abnormal at first glance.
“Those who live in the D.C. area, we see military helicopters fly up and down the river. It’s a standard path that they fly. They are used to aircraft landing at DCA and there is a procedure in place because this happens every day,” he said. “Something went wrong here.”
Bowser offered her condolences for the victims and their families.
“I want to join with everyone else in expressing my condolences for the victims. For folks who don’t live in the DMV, and we are made up of a lot of jurisdictions. Reagan Airport is in Virginia, across the river we have Maryland, obviously the district. But as been indicated by the chief, when tragedy happens, all those distinctions between the various jurisdictions that are federal partners all disappear,” she said.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the accident shortly after it occurred.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,” he said in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arrive.”
“What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!” Trump added in a Truth Social post.
Vice President JD Vance responded to the crash on X, saying, “Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We’re monitoring the situation, but for now let’s hope for the best.”
NBC Washington’s Mark Segraves, speaking with two sources on the scene hours after, reported that the airplane had split into two pieces and was in seven feet of water, closer to the Washington, D.C., side of the river. The helicopter was bobbing upside down, with rescue divers unable to access it due to instability.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The DC Fire and EMS Department said fireboats had been deployed, and eventually, all water rescue boats from the general area were dispatched.
In a statement from Ron McLendon II, Deputy Director, JTF-NCR/USAMDW Public Affairs, it was revealed that the Blackhawk helicopter was from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The FAA, U.S. Army, and NTSB will all investigate, with the latter leading.
