No survivors after airplane-military helicopter collision in Washington, US

All 67 people aboard an American Airlines passenger jet and military helicopter are feared dead after the aircraft collided near Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan airport and crashed into the Potomac River late Wednesday.

Fire Chief John Donnelly confirmed Thursday there were likely no survivors from the crash, which involved 64 people aboard the American Airlines aircraft and three crew members in the military Black Hawk helicopter.

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said the airliner’s wreckage was found in three sections, with the fuselage discovered upside down and partially submerged in the river.

“As we proceed with wreckage recovery, the NTSB will begin its investigation in cooperation with the FAA, using all available data to reach the best possible conclusions for the American people,” Duffy said.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom questioned why the military aircraft was in the passenger plane’s path. “At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft was in the path of PSA’s passenger plane,” he said.

Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ-701 carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was approaching Reagan National Airport at approximately 400 feet altitude when it collided with the helicopter, which was conducting a training mission.

The crash has echoes of a 1982 incident when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the same river after takeoff, killing 78 people.

Recovery operations are ongoing, with the National Transportation Safety Board coordinating the next phase of the operation.