A passenger jet with 64 people on board crashed into the icy Potomac River near Washington on Wednesday night, after striking a military helicopter during its final approach to land at Reagan National Airport.
As of a Thursday morning press conference, authorities said they are switching from a rescue to a recovery operation as they expect no survivors.
Live webcam footage from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts appears to have recorded the collision.
At 8:47 pm EST, two aircraft are seen colliding in midair, creating a massive fireball followed by a trail of smoke falling into the river.
Officials said the impact caused a fiery explosion and left both aircraft badly damaged as they crashed into the river.
The commercial flight, operating as American Eagle Flight 5342 by PSA Airlines for American Airlines, had departed Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members.
The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ700, was preparing to land on Runway 33 just before 9 pm EST when it collided with an Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three crew members.
The helicopter had been operating out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia, though the Army has yet to confirm the crew’s status.
It remains unclear how many, if any, people survived.
Officials said conditions are extremely difficult, with darkness, cold water, and windy weather posed serious threats to rescuers.
“About 300 emergency responders are working in highly complex circumstances,” said Washington’s Fire Chief John Donnelly.
“The freezing conditions, combined with strong winds, increase the risk of hypothermia, and make the search and rescue effort much more challenging.”
Donnelly pointed out that the mission to locate survivors could take days.
Donnelly said the crash alert went out at 8:48 pm.
The first units arrived 10 minutes later and found the passenger jet partially submerged.
Divers and police boats spread across the water, while helicopters hovered overhead to assist in the search operations.
“Every minute counts in a situation like this,” said Donnelly.
“When crews arrived, they faced total darkness on the river. They are doing everything they can to bring people out.”
A large stretch of the shoreline near Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling has become the main staging area, with boats on trailers, ambulances, and fire trucks arriving to assist in the recovery efforts.
Red Cross workers also rushed to Reagan National Airport, delivering relief supplies and standing by to help any survivors.
Several of those travellers were part of the U.S. figure skating community, according to the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy,” said Alex Schauffler, U.S. Figure Skating’s communications director.
“Several members of our skating family, including athletes, coaches, and relatives, were on that flight, returning from a camp for young skaters in Wichita.”
The Russian government confirmed that three Russian figure skaters were also on the plane, who attended the same training camp.
Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas expressed his concern, noting that when a large number of lives are lost at once, it leaves a deep wound in the community.
“When one person dies, it’s a tragedy,” said Marshall.
“But when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow.”
At a late night news conference, Mayor Muriel Bowser offered words of sympathy for those now fearing the worst.
“All of Washington is mourning for the families who may be experiencing loss tonight,” said Bowser, adding that she had been in contact with federal and local agencies to coordinate assistance.
Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least 11 am on Thursday, according to John Potter, President of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Potter advised travellers to check with airlines for updates on flights and to expect delays throughout the region.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
So far, authorities have not indicated whether mechanical failure, human error, or other factors may have played a role.
With the search for survivors still in its early stages, officials said more details will emerge in the coming hours and days ahead.
