Tragedy in D.C.: passenger plane and Black Hawk collide, 18 dead
On Thursday night Eastern Time, a tragic aviation disaster occurred in Washington. A passenger plane collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the river. According to the "NY Post," an investigation is ongoing into the accident, in which at least 18 people died.
The disaster happened near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. A Black Hawk helicopter from the U.S. Army collided with an American Airlines passenger plane.
The accident took place during a training flight for the helicopter. There were three military personnel on board.
- We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir during a training flight - said an army spokesperson in an interview with Fox News.
The American Airlines flight from Kansas was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. As reported by the "NY Post," emergency services have retrieved at least 18 bodies from the river. No survivors have been found yet.
The Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, announced an investigation into the disaster. "Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families. Investigation launched immediately by Army & DoD," he wrote on platform X.
The collision occurred as the plane was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the plane had permission to land. However, it remains unclear whether the helicopter had communication with air traffic control.
Recently, there have been several incidents involving military aircraft during exercises. Last year, four such incidents resulted in the deaths of nine people. The investigation aims to determine the causes of this latest tragedy.
