A preliminary investigation into Wednesday night’s crash between a commercial plane and a military helicopter found that the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was not staffed at normal levels for that time of day, according to The New York Times.
“As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul taken from us so suddenly,” President Trump said. “We are in mourning.”
What Happened?
A Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operated by PSA Airlines (a subsidiary of American Airlines) was on its final approach to land at Reagan Airport when it collided mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.
The Bombardier jet took off from Wichita, Kansas, and was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members.
The Black Hawk helicopter had three people on board, according to Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The crash happened just before 9 p.m. local time, according to the FAA.Rescue Efforts
At an early Thursday press conference, officials said the first emergency units arrived at the crash site at 8:58 p.m., just 10 minutes after receiving an alert.
300 emergency responders were at the scene.
The crash happened over rough, windy waters, making rescue operations extremely difficult.
Sadly, officials have said there are no survivors.Who Was On Board?
Authorities have not released full details about the passengers, but U.S. Figure Skating confirmed that several members of its community were on the flight.
These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from a national development camp held alongside the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
Russian news agency TASS also reported that a former world champion figure skating pair from Russia was among those on board.Investigators are still working to determine exactly what went wrong and whether staffing issues at the air traffic control tower played a role in the tragedy.
