‘No survivors’: All 64 people including top figure skaters believed dead after flight hits helicopter in Washington

30 January 2025, 13:20 | Updated: 30 January 2025, 14:48

All 64 people on board the American Airlines flight that collided with a helicopter in Washington DC are believed to be dead.

The flight from Wichita, Kansas, was coming to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.

The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew, with three US Army soldiers on board the Blackhawk helicopter.

Giving an update this afternoon, DC's fire and emergency medical services chief John Donnelly confirmed that all 64 people on board are believed to be dead.

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Footage shows moment of Washington D.C. plane crash

"We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter," he told reporters.

Police divers and boats are searching the water for bodies, but conditions are described as "extremely rough" with "blocks of ice" in the recently frozen river.

So far, at least 30 bodies have been located.

The operation is expected to last at least several days.

US President, Donald Trump, has described it as a "terrible accident" and said he is "monitoring the situation".

He also thanked the first responders.

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall has spoken of his "unbearable sorrow".

Search and rescue operations continue in Washington D.C. after midair crash

300 responders are working on the operation.

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The collision happened on approach to Runway 33 at around 9pm local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The helicopter was on a training exercise, they added.

Flights have been grounded and Ronald Reagan Airport has closed.

President Trump said the collision was a “bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented" in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport.

"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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” the president continued.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump’s post was based on information on which he had been officially briefed.

Matthew Cappucci, senior meteorologist at the Washington Post, who lives in a 20th floor flat overlooking the runway at Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C, told LBC this morning that it was likely to be the helicopter's fault.

"One thing that you know from a weather perspective, obviously I'm an atmospheric scientist, visibility was not an issue.

"We have perfect visibility right now. The air is very dry. So visibility should not have been an issue for the passenger plane that was landing.

"As they make that left turn at the last moment, there's a good chance that, you know, with the wing sort of up and right, there may have been a blind spot for the pilots of the commercial aircraft flight where they wouldn't have been able to see the helicopter.

"So this likely was the helicopters fault, if you will.

"But of course the NTSB National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating in cooperation with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)."