Airplane crashes in the Potomak River DC with 64 on board after a collision in the middle with an army helicopter – live updates – CBS News

While the demand for bodies and all possible survivors continued overnight, the human remains and debris were washed by Virginia on the Potomak River, according to CBS News Senior Transport and national correspondent Chris van Clive.

He said the plane had invaded numerous pieces that sit 5-8 feet of water.

A diving team has discovered that it seems to be one of the two recorders of the aircraft-so called black boxes. It was unclear whether it was the voice recorder of the cockpit or the one that stores the performance data of the aircraft.

Divers had some access to the airplane cab.

Luggage is among the items that divers have recovered.

The helicopter is upside down, but it looks mostly intact, Van Clive adds.

The two Senators of Kansas were among the employees who informed media members at Reagan National Airport about the crash at the beginning of Thursday.

Senator Jerry Moran, a Republican who chaired the Aviation Subcommittee of the Senate, Science and Transport Committee, said he “prays to be safe and the people who were in this flight.”

Senator Roger Marshall, also a Republican, said: “When a person dies, it is a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it is unbearable grief. This is a heartbeat beyond major. … I want people to go back home so we know that we are interested, that we love them and that this is a time when we will have to unite with weapons and help ourselves.

“We have experienced such things before – through tornado and floods and things, but it is really difficult when you lose probably over 60 Kansani at the same time. I do not want to forget the pilots and flight attendants who did their jobs and the military officials we lost.

Reuters reported that the Tass News State Agency, citing a source, said that Russian figure skaters and coaches, Jevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on the plane.

They won the 1994 World Cup World Cup, Reuters noted and married next year.

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American Airlines’s last major crash took place in November 2001 near John F. Kennedy International Airport. The American Airlines, Airbus A300 flight No. 587 crashes shortly after the take -off, killing 265 people. He was bound to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The aircraft crashes in the area of ​​the Rockaways BEL port in the Queens area in New York.

The head of the Colombia County Fire and Emergency Medical Services, John Donelli, told reporters at a news briefing early in the morning on Thursday morning that state and federal agencies were involved in search and rescue operations, operating under a unified command.

“This is an extremely complicated operation, the conditions there are extremely rough for the respondents. It’s cold. They are dealing with the relatively windy conditions,” Donelli said.

Later, he noted that the water was dark, “cloudy”, “about eight feet deep and contains” pieces of ice “.

“It’s just dangerous and difficult to work. And because there are not many lights, you are there, looking for every square inch space.”

Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least 11 am on Thursday, Jack Potter, president and executive director of the Sofia airports in the Washington airport, told reporters early Thursday morning.

“Then the first flights will take off,” Potter said, later added that the time is “liquid” and can change.

The Reagan National Flights were founded as the collision happened around 9:00 pm Eastern time on Wednesday.

Potter said flights at Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport are not affected by the incident.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a video statement: “First and most importantly, I would like to express my deep sorrows for these events.”

“This is a difficult day for all of us from American Airlines. Our efforts are now focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first answers, along with their families and loved ones,” said Isom.

Isom said American Airlines cooperates with the investigation of the National Transport Safety Council and that he and their members of their Go-Team will soon head to Washington, Colombia.

“We understand and appreciate that people are impatient for information, please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can, but everything we need to report should be accurate,” he said and added, that “we owe this to all participating.”

Isom said the airline created a help line, and those who had friends or relatives in the flight can call 1-800-679-8215.

A police officer at the accident told CBS News that at least 18 bodies had been restored at 11:30 pm ET. The employee said no survivors had been found so far.

After the crash, all flights were grounded on Wednesday night at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), located in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, Colombia District, announcement at the airport, said it would not open 5 pm before 5 o’clock in the morning Thursday. All grounding passengers are aimed at recinging.

The White House released President Trump’s statement on Wednesday night.

He said: “I was fully informed of the terrible incident that just happened at Reagan National Airport. May God bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible job that is done by our first answers. details when they arise. “

Later, he published to the Truth Social: “The plane was on a perfect and routine approach line to the airport. The helicopter walked straight into the plane for an extended period of time. This is a clear night, the lights in the plane were on fire, why the helicopter did not go up either down or turned.

The army said the Sikor H-60 ​​helicopter participated in the crash is based by Fort Belvoire, Virginia.

The helicopter was on a training flight during the incident, a spokesman for the Joint National Capitol region of the special group of Heather Chairman before CBS News said. The chairman said the chopper belonged to B Company, the 12th aviation battalion.

An employee of the Ministry of Defense told CBS News that three soldiers were aboard the helicopter without senior boarding officials.

In the Potomak River, efforts were made to search and rescue. A police officer at the scene told CBS News that there are three debris flights in the water.

“The incident happened in the river,” a dispatcher said in an audio scanner derived from air traffic control. “Both the helicopter and the plane crashed into the river.”

The American Eagle Flight 5342, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, has encountered a helicopter of US Army Black Hawk, carrying three soldiers on Wednesday night while trying to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Rescond , Colombia County, Colombia County, Colombia District, Colombia County

“The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional aircraft collided in the middle with the Sikorsky H-60 ​​helicopter while it was near Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9:00 pm,” a federal aviation administration said.

The aircraft, run by American Airlines, had flown out of Wichita, Kansas, FAA said.