American Airlines: Multiple Bodies Recovered from Washington’s Potomac River

Multiple bodies have been recovered from the dark, near-freezing  Washington’s Potomac River, after the devastating mid-air collision involving a passenger jet carrying 64 people and a military helicopter.

According to AFP report, eyewitnesses have stated that the collision happened around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT) on Wednesday Evening as the Bombardier plane operated by an American Airlines subsidiary was approaching Reagan National Airport after flying from Wichita, Kansas.

The helicopter involved was a Black Hawk carrying three soldiers on a “training flight,” according to US Army officials. Witness Ari Schulman described seeing “a stream of sparks” overhead, adding, “It looked like a Roman candle.”

CBS News has reported that at least 18 bodies have been recovered, while NBC reported more than a dozen. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan National, with the airport scheduled to reopen on Thursday at 11:00 am (1600 GMT).

In response to the tragic incident, President Donald Trump criticized air traffic control, stating, “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time… Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane?”

The incident has raised concerns about the crowded airspace around Washington, with planes and helicopters frequently flying low over the city. The same airport was the scene of a deadly crash in January 1982, when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the Potomac River, killing 78 people.