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No survivors are expected in the mid-air crash at Reagan Airport as 67 feared dead
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A tragic mid-air collision involving a regional American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided in mid-air above Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. on January 29 around 9 p.m., according to The Associated Press and CBS News. The jet,which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, was approaching the airport for landing. The helicopter was on a training flight from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
The passenger jet was carrying 64 people and the Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers on board. CNN reports officials as saying that no-one is believed to have survived the crash. As of this writing, at least 30 bodies and various body parts have been recovered from the Potomac River.
American figure skaters, coaches and family members who had been at camp in Wichita were among those aboard the passenger jet, according to U.S. Figure Skating and NBC News. Russian state media confirmed that Russian figure skaters and coaches were also on board.
All flights in and out of the airport have been suspended until at least 11 a.m. ET on Thursday. Divers are searching the river, and helicopters from various law enforcement agencies are conducting aerial scans. The cause of the collision has not yet been determined, and investigations are ongoing. ~ MSN
The wreckage of the American Airlines jet has been found in the shallow waters of the Potomac River. According to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, the plane’s fuselage was found to be upside-down and broken into three parts. Because the fuselage is easily accessible in waist-deep waters, recovering the wreckage is already underway. “As that recovery takes place of the fuselage of the aircraft, NTSB is going to start to analyze that aircraft, partner with the FAA with all the information we have to get the best results possible for the American people,” he said.
This morning at a press conference, Duffy added that both the American Airlines jet and the military helicopter were taking a “standard flight pattern” last night. “This was a clear night last night; the helicopter was in the standard pattern. If you live in the DC area, you will see helicopters up and down the river.”
American Airlines shares toll-free number for family of victims: American Airlines has shared a toll-free number and said family of people who were onboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport should call for information. “If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215.”
Conspiracy theorists: Although the FAA is stopping short of saying who is at fault the mid-air crash, the social media rumor mill and conspiracy theorists are convinced that the helicopter intentionally flew into the jet as it was trying to land. Ace News Today does not accept that theory as fact, just sharing what readers out there are saying in response to news reports and videos of the crash.
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Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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