Tragedy strikes as plane and helicopter collide near D.C.
At night Eastern Time, a tragic aviation accident occurred. A passenger plane collided with a helicopter. The first recordings are appearing online. A rescue operation is underway, with 18 bodies recovered from the river.
In the United States, a tragic aviation accident happened. A passenger plane collided with a helicopter and fell into the Potomac River near Reagan Airport, close to Washington, D.C. According to the police, at present, at least 18 fatalities are confirmed.
The tragic incident occurred just before 9 p.m. Eastern Time. CNN reports that the passenger plane, which fell into the Potomac River, collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter during its approach to land, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration in its statement.
ABC News states that, according to two U.S. officials, the Black Hawk helicopter belonged to the U.S. Army and had three people on board.
The Bombardier CRJ700 passenger plane, operated by PSA Airlines from the American Airlines Group, took off from Wichita, Kansas, and was scheduled to land in Washington, D.C. The airline reported that there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board.
CBS News reports that so far, 18 bodies of the accident victims have been retrieved from the Potomac River. It has also been confirmed that the military helicopter involved in the collision with the passenger plane was on a training flight.
First videos documenting the moment of the tragedy are already circulating on social media. One video captured the moment of the collision between the passenger plane and the military helicopter. The Pentagon has launched an immediate investigation into the aviation disaster.
