All passengers are feared dead after a regional jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter in midair near Reagan Washington National Airport late Wednesday.
The two aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, where a rescue operation operation has become a major recovery effort, with dozens of bodies pulled from the water so far.
American Eagle Flight 5342 was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, parent company American Airlines said.
The U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter involved was carrying three people, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
American figure skaters, coaches and family members who had been at camp in Wichita were among the passenger jet passengers, according to U.S. Figure Skating.
Russian state media confirmed that Russian figure skaters and coaches were also on board.
Despite a mammoth search-and-rescue operation, Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said during a press conference early Thursday that there were not believed to be any survivors from the midair collision over the Potomac River.
At least 28 bodies have been pulled from the water, he said. Of those, 27 were from the American Eagle civilian jet and one from the U.S. Black Hawk helicopter, Donnelly said. Multiple medical examiner offices are working on identifying the victims, with the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner leading the efforts to reunite the bodies with loved ones.
Nearly two dozen local, state and federal rescue teams have been deployed for the search-and-rescue operation. Donnelly said earlier that about 300 responders were working on the ground as police and fire boats were deployed throughout the region. A mutual aid agreement between the city of Washington and the National Capital Region, as well as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, is also in place.
Earlier, the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington said it was working directly with the Arlington and Metropolitan Police Department, Fire and EMS teams. “VHC Health is prepared to assist and support first responders as these agencies continue their emergency response,” it said, adding that it had not received any patients at this time.
