An American Airlines regional passenger jet and a US. Army Black Hawk helicopter jet collided while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Officials have not yet confirmed a death toll following the collision, but U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, where the flight originated, suggested that all passengers on board may have perished.
Speaking at a news conference at Reagan National Airport early Thursday, Marshall said, “It’s really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously.” He continued, “When one person dies, it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow. It’s a heartbreak beyond measure.”
Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, also spoke at the news conference, emphasizing that first responders were currently in “rescue mode.”
CBS News reported that at least 18 bodies had been recovered, according to a police official, while two sources told Reuters that several bodies had been pulled from the water.
The Kansas Senator Roger Marshall reported that the plane, which collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter late Wednesday, was carrying around 64 passengers. US officials said three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.
