According to US President Donald Trump, the air collision in Washington “should have been avoided.”
According to the CBS News channel, “At least 18 bodies have been found” In the collision of an airplane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members with an army helicopter when it landed at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington. This accident caused a large research and rescue operation in the Potomac river, located nearby. The military helicopter transported three soldiers and carried out a “Train flight” According to an American army spokesman.
For the time being, no victim has been found, but all of the airport takeoff and landings near Washington have been interrupted while Helicopters of the law enforcement of the whole region flew over the premises in search of survivors. Inflatable lifeboats have been launched in the Potomac river from a point near the airport, along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport.
According to firefighters, John Donllly, nearly 300 firefighters are mobilized in a complex operation. “The American coast guard also have boats in the water. It is therefore a very complex operation. Conditions are extremely difficult for stakeholders. It’s cold. They have to face relatively winding conditions and the wind is strong on the river. They therefore work in the field. We continue to do whatever we can to ensure their safety. “
According to US President Donald Trump, The air collision in Washington “should have been avoided” he said on his social social network “The plane was on a perfect and regular approach line of the airport. The helicopter went straight to the plane for an extended period. It’s a clear night, the lights of the plane were lit, why has the helicopter not mounted or descended, or did not turn? He had to do it instead of seeing him if he had seen the plane.
Internal security secretary Kristi Noem said that it was going to deploy all the available resources of the American coast guard for research and rescue operations.
“We are actively monitoring the situation and we are ready to support local speakers”said Kristi Noem in a message on X.
President Donald Trump has been informed, said his press attaché, and vice-president JD Vance encouraged his supporters on the X social media platform “Pray for all those involved”.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the air accident occurred around 9 p.m. East (3 hours CE) when a regional jet left Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter performing a Training flight when he was approaching an airport track.
The accident occurred in one of the most closely controlled and monitored air areas in the world, not far from the White House and the Capitol.
The investigators will try to reconstruct the last moments of the plane before the collision, in particular the contacts with the air controllers and the loss of altitude of the airliner.
In a recording of the air traffic control tower, we hear a controller ask the helicopter: “Pat25 have the CRJ in sight”in reference to the airliner.
We hear another driver call “Tower Did you see that? “ A few seconds after the apparent collision.
The tower immediately started to divert other Reagan planes.
In a message published on social networks, American Airlines said it was aware of the information that one of its flights was involved in the incident and said it would provide more information as soon as they are available.
The video of an observation camera of the Kennedy center, located nearby, shows two series of lights corresponding to planes that seem to be joined in a fireball.
The airport said the emergency staff responded to “An air force on the aviation field”.
The incident recalls the crash of an Air Florida plane which plunged into the potomac on January 13, 1982, killing 78 people. This accident had been awarded to bad weather.