American Airlines plane collides with helicopter and plunges into river – as all 64 on board feared dead
American Airlines plane collides with helicopter and plunges into river – as all 64 on board feared dead
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AN American Airlines plane crashed into a river after colliding with a helicopter mid-air in Washington DC - with all 64 on board feared dead. Hopes are dwindling for survivors with officials warning there are "many, many" dead after the jet plunged into Potomac River and split in two.
![[Emergency responders at the scene of a plane crash in the Potomac River.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/2025-arlington-virginia-american-airlines-967724909.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when it collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter just before 9pm. Horror CCTV from the Kennedy Center showed the moment the aircraft burst into flames after crashing in the air. Rescue crews are grappling with dark, cold conditions to search for any survivors as police divers and boats scour the freezing waters.
![[Bright light in night sky.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/sedfrgthyjuki.jpg?strip=all&w=719)
Officials say there are "many, many, many" people dead, but have not confirmed the tragic toll. More than 300 emergency workers are at the scene, with the airport's fire chief saying the operation will last "many hours". At least 18 bodies have reportedly been pulled from the river so far.
![[Rescue boats searching the Potomac River at night.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/rescue-boats-search-waters-potomac-967739021_caaa1c.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Washington DC's mayor Muriel Bowser said firefighters are working "diligently" in the cold. Washington DC's emergency chief John Donnelly added: "There is wind. There are pieces of ice in the water. "And because there is not a lot of light, you are out there searching every square inch of space.
![[epa11862639 Rescue teams gather to respond to an airplane crash in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, USA, 29 January 2025. According to a preliminary statement from the United States' Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet that departed earlier today from Witchita, Kansas collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Reagan Washington National Airport. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/EPA_Usa-Washington-Dc-Ariplane-Crash_11862639jpg-JS967706007-2.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
"These are very tough conditions for [rescuers] to dive in.". Flight 5342 from Kansas was approaching Runway 33 at Ronald Reagan International Airport when it collided with the Sikorsky H-60. Two champion Russian figure skaters were among the passengers on board the plane, Tass news agency reports.
![[Illustration of a plane crash into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/TOB-MAP-WASHINGTON-CRASH.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
