CNN reported that, according to a law enforcement source, the rescue and search mission for victims after the collision between an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk helicopter on January 29, 2025, US time near Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. (USA) is becoming increasingly gloomy.
A source from American Airlines said the flight had 60 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Meanwhile, the Black Hawk helicopter carried 3 US soldiers.
Sources confirmed that no survivors have been found at this time. The sight of two broken planes floating in the Potomac River left rescue workers in shock.
Speaking at a press conference at Reagan National Airport, Washington D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Director John A. Donnelly Sr. said there are currently about 300 personnel participating in the search and rescue operation on the Potomac River.
Mr. Donnelly said the search could last several days because of the difficult conditions at the scene; underwater, strong winds and at night. As of 12:30 p.m. (Vietnam time), the rescue team had recovered 18 bodies from the Potomac River after this collision.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said early on the morning of January 30 (local time) that the collision between a US military helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane was "a terrible situation that should have been prevented."
“The plane was on a completely normal, standard approach,” Trump said. “The helicopter was flying straight toward the plane for a long period of time. The sky was clear last night, the lights were on, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn? Why didn’t the controller give the helicopter instructions instead of just asking if they saw the plane?”
Meanwhile, US officials say this could be the worst deadly disaster in Washington D.C. in decades.
Previously, an Air Florida Boeing 737 carrying 74 passengers and 5 crew members crashed into the Potomac River. The plane crashed into the 14th Street Bridge, connecting Arlington, Virginia and Washington D.C., in 1982, killing a total of 78 people in the tragedy.
