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LAST UPDATE | 30 Jan
A PASSENGER PLANE collided with a US military Black Hawk helicopter in mid-air as it was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC in the early hours of this morning.
The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members while there were three soldiers onboard the helicopter. Both aircraft landed in the Potomac River, where a search and rescue mission was launched.
Both aircraft ended up in the Potomac River, where a search and rescue operation was launched in what the local fire and emergency department said were “extremely rough” conditions.
Here’s what we know so far:
9pm local time (2am Irish time): The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department posted on social media saying: “Confirmed small aircraft down in Potomac River vicinity Reagan National Airport. Fireboats on scene.”
A few minutes later, Ronald Reagan National Airport announced a halt to all takeoffs and landings.
10pm: The Federal Aviation Authority then released a statement that said the jet had collided with the helicopter while on approach to a runway at the airport, adding that it departed from Wichita, Kansas.
10:50pm: CBS reported that three US Army soldiers were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter, citing a military official.
11pm: American Airlines confirmed that American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by regional airline PSA, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members.
11:30pm: The Pentagon released a statement saying that the helicopter, which was on a training exercise, was based in Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
11:55pm: Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser held a press conference in which she described the event as “very tragic” and said emergency services were “working diligently”.
12:01am: Police officials told CBS News that 18 bodies had been recovered by search crews and that no survivors had been found at that point.
01:19am: Washington DC’s emergency chief John Donnelly described the difficult conditions, saying: “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.”
1:45am: US President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed” and then criticised the airport’s air traffic control in a post on social media.
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport,” Trump wrote.
“The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing.
“Why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
2:54am: CBS reported that a 19th body had been recovered.
2:56am: US Figure Skating, the governing body for the sport, confirmed in a statement that several members of its skating community were on board the flight, describing the crach as an “unspeakable tragedy”.
“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,” the statement read.
3:20am: Russian media reported that two Russian figure skaters were also on board the flight. A Kremlin spokesperson has since confirmed the reports.
7:30am: Washington DC fire chief John Donnelly announced that “we don’t believe there are any survivors”, and said the search was being switched to a recovery operation.
Donnelly also said that 27 bodies had been recovered from the plane and one body had been recovered from the helicopter.
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When cases are settled on the steps of the court house, the real winners are the legal profession.
I hope this system is an improvement and people get help when they need it, not years down the line when their lives are completely altered
€60000 for a broken finger. Somethings not right.
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: 60 grand might seem like a lot but over a lifetime it isn’t much. Personally if I had a choice between permanent damage to a hand or the money I’d rather have my body intact. I’d imagine most people would think the same
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: the judge must have had a lot of parking tickets
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: you didn’t read it. Not a broken finger. “suffers a permanent deformity” and that after 2 surgeries. But you’re faux rage comment is much cooler.
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: 60k for a permanent injury, plenty of Joe soaps getting a he’ll of a lot more for a lot less.
You sign up to do a job that carries certain amount of risk and how can the department of justice or the state be negligible if then you are assaulted in the course of your work that you signed up for and are aware of the risks ..my understanding of civil law is that someone had to be proved to be negligible to win a injury claim
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