All 64 people aboard an American Airlines regional commuter jet and three people aboard an Army helicopter are presumed dead, according to officials yesterday, after the two aircraft collided midair near Washington, DC's Reagan National Airport late Wednesday. The incident is the first major US commercial air disaster since 2009, when a Colgan Air propeller plane crashed into a house in Buffalo, New York.
Early reports suggest air traffic control was aware of both aircraft, asking the helicopter pilots if they were aware of the incoming jet and instructing them to pass behind it. See footage from a distance of the crash here (warning—sensitive content).
The wreckage of the plane fell into the Potomac River, which was just above 35 degrees Wednesday evening—near-freezing temperatures in which any survivors would lose consciousness after about 15 to 30 minutes. As of this writing, 28 bodies have been recovered from the water; among the victims were 14 members of the figure skating community returning from a training event.
A preliminary report from federal safety officials is due within 30 days. See a timeline of both aircraft leading up to the crash here.
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