No Survivors In Plane Crash At Washington's Reagan Airport, Authorities Say

Authorities said Thursday morning they believe there were no survivors in the crash between a regional American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter late Wednesday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Twenty-seven bodies had been recovered from the downed plane, a Bombardier CRJ700 operated by PSA Airlines, and one had been recovered from the helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60, said D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly during a news conference at the airport.

A total of 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to American Airlines, and three soldiers were on the helicopter.

“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Donnelly said. “We don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.”

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the plane collided with “a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach” and doesn’t know why the crash occurred.

“At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft,” Isom said.

The Army on Wednesday confirmed the helicopter was one of the service’s, based out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia, and was conducting a training mission before the crash occurred.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy added that it was a clear night and the helicopter was in a “standard” pattern, and the jet was, too.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to provide a briefing later Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a press briefing.