Officials said they don’t believe there will be survivors Officials are not expecting to find survivors in a tragic crash involving an American Airlines plane…
Officials are not expecting to find survivors in a tragic crash involving an American Airlines plane and a helicopter near Washington D.C.
At a press conference, an update was provided on the possibility of recovering people alive, with D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly saying: “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.
He was speaking at a press conference today (30 January) while confirming that 27 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of the plane and one body from the helicopter had been found as part of the ongoing search efforts.
What caused the American Airlines crash?
The wreckage of the American Airlines plane was found inverted and in three pieces in the Potomac River.
This is still to be determined, with the black boxes from both the helicopter and plane vital to establishing what was going on in the build up to the fatal collision.
All we know at this stage is that the passenger plane and military helicopter collided as the plane was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to land.
How many people were on board the American Airlines flight?
It has been confirmed that 60 passengers and four crew were on American Airlines flight 5342.
US Figure Skating, which is the American governing body for the sport, has announced that a number of athletes and coaches were on board the fateful flight.
In a statement, it said: “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
According to CBS, at least 19 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River at the time of publishing this article.
No survivors have also been located at this stage as the investigation and recovery mission continues.
Meanwhile, three people were on board the helicopter.
