A mid-air collision between a regional jet and a military helicopter at Reagan National Airport resulted in no survivors. The American Eagle flight from Wichita and the Sikorsky H-60 helicopter collided while the jet was landing, leading to the deaths of all 67 individuals on board. Crews searched the Potomac River where the aircraft landed, recovering several bodies from the fuselage that broke into pieces.
The operation shifted from rescue to recovery as divers retrieved bodies from the wreckage. Crews on fire boats transported the bodies to ambulances, which then took them to a portable morgue for identification. The black boxes from the aircraft have not been located, but NTSB officials are confident they will be found. Investigators have begun examining the crash, with a preliminary report expected in 30 days.
NTSB Chair Jennifer L. Homendy did not discuss the cause of the collision or the identities of the victims, deferring to the D.C. medical examiner for that information. Among the victims were members of the U.S. Figure Skating community who were returning home from a camp in Wichita. The tragic incident has left many families and communities mourning the loss of their loved ones.
