Deadly Mid-Air Collision in DC Sky Sends Shockwaves

Deadly Mid-Air Collision in DC Sky Sends Shockwaves

Near the US capital of Washington, a plane collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. On board the aircraft, there were 64 people, while the military helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60, had at least three people on board, according to a military spokesperson. The incident occurred in the evening local time on Wednesday.

The American Airlines plane, a Bombardier CRJ700, was in the process of landing from a flight from Wichita, Kansas, when the collision occurred. The aircraft, flight 5342, had 60 passengers and four crew members on board. As of now, there is no hope of survivors, according to US media reports.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed the type of aircraft involved, while the military has identified the helicopter as a Sikorsky H-60, a variant of which is the Black Hawk. At least three US soldiers were on board the helicopter at the time of the collision, a Pentagon official told the Washington Post, adding that no high-ranking US officials were on the Black Hawk helicopter.

The cause of the collision is still unknown and the FBI has stated that there is no indication of criminality or terrorism. US President Donald Trump will be briefed on the further development of the situation.

According to two sources of the investigating authorities and a CNN source familiar with the situation, no survivors have been found so far. American Airlines stated that the flight was operated by its subsidiary, PSA Airlines.

Further information will be available soon.