At least eighteen bodies have been recovered so far after an Air Force One plane collided with an Army Air Force helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, causing the passenger plane to crash into the Potomac River.
“Flight 5342, which departed Wichita, Kansas (ICT) for Washington, DC (DCA), was involved in an accident,” American Airlines said in a press release, explaining that the aircraft operated by its PSA subsidiary had 60 passengers and four crew members on board.
Footage posted online shows the moment of the collision, and it appears that there is also an explosion of flames.
The passenger plane is reported to be in a depth of about two and a half meters and has broken into two pieces.
The military helicopter was carrying three military personnel, a government official said on condition of anonymity.
The official said their fate was not yet clear, clarifying that no senior officers were on board the helicopter.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 30, 2025
New video shows the moment a plane collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.
A search for survivors in the Potomac River is ongoing pic.twitter.com/oJ57ivyVWw