Officials have confirmed that no survivors are expected following the mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C. The devastating crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River late on January 29, and rescue teams have now transitioned from a search-and-rescue operation to a recovery mission.
D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly stated, “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.” So far, recovery teams have pulled 27 bodies from the plane’s wreckage and one from the helicopter, with more victims still unaccounted for. Investigators are now focused on retrieving the flight recorders to determine the cause of the collision.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom called it “a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines,” adding that he was traveling to D.C. with a specialist team to assist in the investigation. Meanwhile, the U.S. Figure Skating community is mourning the loss of 14 skaters and coaches who were on board the flight, returning from a national training camp in Kansas.
President Donald Trump addressed the tragedy on Truth Social, criticizing air traffic control and questioning why the helicopter did not take evasive action. “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn?” Officials are now investigating potential miscommunications between the aircraft and air traffic control in the moments leading up to the collision.
