A devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter sent both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River on Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities are working to confirm the number of casualties as rescue efforts continue under challenging conditions.
The American Airlines flight, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, had just taken off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with the military helicopter, which had three soldiers on board.
Officials have not yet disclosed the exact number of survivors, but 28 bodies have been recovered from the river, according to emergency response teams.
Several elite young figure skaters, including former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were among the passengers on board the doomed flight.
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The U.S. Figure Skating Association made a statement regarding the tragic incident. The national governing body for U.S. figure skating expressed deep sorrow over the loss of several members of its skating community who were aboard the American Airlines flight.
The athletes and coaches had been returning home from the national development camp in Kansas. While the association did not initially release the names of all those involved, it confirmed that the renowned pair of figure skaters, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on board the flight.
Shishkova and Naumov, who won the World Championship in pairs figure skating in 1994, had been living in the United States since at least 1998, where they worked as coaches, training young ice skaters. The couple was traveling together when the crash occurred.
The U.S. Figure Skating Association also stated, “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” as they awaited more information. They continued to monitor the situation closely and pledged to release further details when they became available.
The collision, which occurred around 2:30 p.m. local time, has sparked widespread concern and prompted responses from government officials and aviation authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the incident, stating, “This is an unspeakable tragedy. We need answers on how something like this could happen in our skies.”
American Airlines expressed deep sorrow over the accident and pledged full cooperation with investigators.
The U.S. Army has also launched an internal review of the crash, with a spokesperson confirming that officials are examining flight operation protocols and communication between air traffic control and the involved aircraft.
Rescue operations remain ongoing as authorities work to recover additional bodies and search for any possible survivors. Officials have urged the public to stay clear of the area to allow emergency teams to conduct their work effectively.
Investigators are now focusing on key questions: how the two aircraft came to be in the same airspace, whether proper aviation protocols were followed, and whether communication breakdowns contributed to the disaster.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are leading the probe, with initial findings expected in the coming days.
