The Potomac River, as viewed from The Wharf
No survivors are expected to be found following the Wednesday night midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet flying from Wichita, Kansas, and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, officials are indicating.
The collision occurred moments before the jet was set to land at Reagan National, sending both aircraft into the icy waters of the Potomac River.
The Bombardier CRJ700, operating as American Flight 5342, had 60 passengers and four crew members on board. The Sikorsky H-60 had a complement of three troops on board who were conducting a training flight.
Rescue crews have thus far recovered 28 bodies from the aircraft and one from the helicopter. If all souls were lost, it would be the most fatal aviation disaster on U.S. soil in 23 years.
President Donald Trump conducted a briefing on the disaster from the White House press room. He blamed diversity programs for the crash, without citing any evidence. The move injected a partisan note into what was otherwise a moment of national unity and grieving.
The two airports traveled along the Potomac River from opposite directions where they collided just before 9 p.m. Wednesday
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
