What do we know so far about Washington DC aircraft accident
Getty imagesA passenger aircraft carrying 64 passengers and crew crashed into a river at Washington DC, when it collided with an American army helicopter into the middle air.
According to the BBC broadcast partner, CBS, eighteen bodies have so far been drawn from the Potomac River, where the search and rescue teams are surrounded by water in cold temperatures.
American officials are investigating and nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has completed all flights.
Here we still know about this incident:
What happened?
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, on Wednesday, around 21:00 local time period (02:00 GMT), American Airlines collided with an American army helicopter working as an American Airlines 5432, as an American Airlines 5432, as it was Federal Aviation According to the administration, Ronald Reagan contacted Washington National Airport.
According to American Airlines, passenger aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ700, Wichita, Kansas left and was carrying 60 passengers and four crews.
The Pentagon said the helicopter involved was a Sikorski H -60 that flew from Fort Belveer in Virginia. According to CBS, three American soldiers were on the board.
The FAA said it would investigate the incident in collaboration with the National Board of Transport Safety (NTSB).
Was there casualties there?
There is no official term on the number of casualties. However, CBS reported that 18 bodies have been drawn from water.
Initial reports from the US media stated that the passenger aircraft could be seen divided into half on the Potomac River, while the helicopter was inverted in water.
CBS News said that the police and fire department is searching for water for the survivors in cold temperature, with the help of police boats, CBS News said.
Search and rescue can be seen from Ronald Reagan Airport, which is near the river.
What are eye witnesses saying?
Eri Shulman told NBC Washington that he saw the plane crash while driving on George Washington Parkway, which runs with the airport.
He said that the aircraft’s approach looked normal, until he saw the aircraft bank strict, “streams of sparks” were running down, illuminating its stomach.
At that time, he said that he knew that it looked “very, very wrong”. After watching the aircraft landing in the past, he said that the lower part of an aircraft should not have appeared in the dark.
Sparks, he said, a “giant Roman candle” meets and moved from the aircraft’s nose to his tail.
Jimmy Labyriya said that he saw the accident while having dinner with his girlfriend in a park near the airport.
Seeing this, he remembered what looked like “white flare” in the sky. He said that the aircraft flying at Ronald Reagan Airport appeared flying in the “irregular pattern”.
Mr. Labyriya said that until the emergency services started reaching the spot, he did not think much about what he had seen.
What are American officials saying?
President Donald Trump said that he was fully informed about the “terrible accident” and was closely monitoring the situation.
“God can bless his souls,” he said in a statement.
“Thanks to the incredible work being done by our first respondents,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance sought prayers for those who were in the incident.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transport Secretary Sean Dafi, whose appointments were recently confirmed, also said that they were monitoring the situation.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed his “deep grief” about the collision in a video, which has been posted on the airline’s website.
