Washington plane crash: Passenger plane plunges into river after colliding with helicopter

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Washington plane ******: Passenger plane plunges into river after colliding with helicopter

Bodies have been pulled from the freezing waters of the Potomac River as authorities continue a desperate search for survivors of a horrific ****** between a passenger plane and a US Army ****** Hawk helicopter in Washington DC.

The plane was approaching the runway to land at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night local time when the aircrafts collided in a fireball.

Law enforcement sources confirmed to local media that there had been multiple fatalities and no survivors had yet been found.

The plane is in pieces in the water and the helicopter is nearby.

Regional airline PSA was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

American Airlines has confirmed that 60 passengers and four crew were on board the flight.

A US defense official claims the ****** Hawk,which is believed to have been on a training flight at the time, had a crew of three aboard, according to CNN.

Camera IconFireboats are currently on the scene scouring the river, with details of the ****** including the cause and how many people were onboard still unknown. Credit: X/X

Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.

Police said multiple agencies were involved in the difficult search and rescue operation in the river which borders the airport but that there was no immediate word on casualties.

Maryland State Police has sent divers to the scene to aid the search for survivors. Temperatures in Washington are expected to drop to 2C overnight.

Multiple helicopters, including those from the US Park Police and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and US military, were flying over the scene of the incident in the Potomac River.

The airport said all takeoffs and landings had been halted as emergency personnel respond.

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Hamaad Raza told local station WUSA his wife was aboard the plane and he had received a text message 20 minutes before the plane was meant to land.

When she didn’t then respond to his texts he thought something must be wrong.

“I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now as we speak.”

Witness Ari Schulman told

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he saw the plane “banked all the way to the right… past 90 degrees.”

“I could see the underside of it. It was lit up a very bright yellow, and there was a stream of sparks underneath it,” he said, adding that “it was high off the ground.”

“I didn’t see any helicopter. It’s a very, very dark night out tonight. So anything that’s not illuminated, you can’t really see. So I didn’t see the other aircraft, but I saw the plane banking at an angle that a plane shouldn’t bank. And I saw sparks flying.

“I didn’t see the plane hit the ground. I didn’t see flames or an explosion or smoke. I didn’t see emergency lights. It was so brief.”

US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“There are many agencies that are working on this response right now, both federal and local law enforcement are working together on the ground, to try to save as many lives as possible. And the President will continue to monitor this situation,” she said.

“The thoughts and prayers of the entire Trump administration are with all those involved.”

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Vice President J.D. Vance has posted about the ****** on X, writing “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.”

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Washington mayor Muriel Bowser said her prayers were with ”everyone involved”.

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The National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering more information on the incident.

American Airlines has launched a hotline for people who believe their loved ones may have been aboard the doomed flight.

“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit

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for additional phone numbers,” it said in a statement to X.

“Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.”

There have been a string of close calls at Reagan International Airport and other airports since the beginning of 2023, The Washington Post reports.

In May 2024, an American Airlines flight aborted a takeoff at National Airport after it was at risk of colliding with a private jet.

There had been a similar incident the previous month involving a Southwest Airlines plane and a JetBlue Airways flight.

— with Reuters, AAP, The Washington Post

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#Washington #plane #****** #Passenger #plane #plunges #river #colliding #helicopter

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