Former US President Barack Obama/BARACK OBAMAFormer US President Barack Obama and his wife Michell have condoled with families of those who lost their lives early Thursday following a midair collision between a passenger jet and military chopper.
An American Airlines passenger plane carrying 64 people collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers on board near Reagan National Airport, outside Washington, DC.
Wreckages of both planes plunged into water. No survivors are expected to be found as rescurers continue to score through water in freezing temperatures, in what has now turned into a recovery operation.
"Our hearts break for the families who lost loved ones in the tragic plane and helicopter crash at DCA. Michelle and I send our prayers and condolences to everyone who is mourning today, and we’re grateful to the first responders who are doing everything they can to help under extremely difficult circumstances," Obama said in a tweet on his X feed.
US media said President Donald Trump was expected to address the nation Friday accompanied by newly confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and other members of his Cabinet.
Among those onboard the passenger jet are said to be members of the US Figure Skating community.
Russia’s state news television reported seperately that two world-champion Russian figure skaters were also on the plane.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the helicopter was on an annual proficiency training flight during the midair collission.
“It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing an annual required night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles,” he said.
Emergency authorities said they had by Friday evening recovered 18 bodies and expressed optimism of finding all those who perished in the air tragedy.
Circumstances leading to the fatal collission has baffled many considering commercial airplanes are outfitted with a safety system warning of nearby planes known as TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System) or ACAS (Airborne Collision Avoidance System).
The system works by indicating to pilots on a display the positions and relative altitudes of other nearby transponder operating aircraft.
It is said airtraffic controllers at the Reagan National Airport had cleared the passenger flight to land moments before the collission.
