


Officials said there were no survivors after a regional jet and military helicopter collided Wednesday evening over the Potomac River.
Washington Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said Thursday morning at a press conference that operations were beginning to switch from a rescue mission to a recovery mission.
About 60 people were believed to be on the American Airlines flight that collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk on its final approach to Reagan Washington National Airport in Alexandria, Va., just before 9 p.m. EST.
“At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident, and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” Donnelly said.
American Airlines said the flight was en route from Wichita, Kan.
About 300 emergency responders conducted a multi-agency search-and-rescue operation.
President Trump, in a statement issued late Wednesday, argued the crash “should have been prevented.” He noted it was a clear night in Washington and questioned why the control tower didn’t tell the helicopter there was a plane approaching.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed those remarks. During the press conference, he was asked about Trump’s comments and said “absolutely” the crash could have been prevented.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom shared his condolences and said the company’s focus is on supporting those who were involved or related to the crash, including the staff at the company.
“This is devastating,” he said. “We are all hurting incredibly.”
Updated at 8:39 a.m. EST