Everyone on board a passenger jet and Black Hawk military helicopter that collided near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, has died, the president confirmed on Thursday.
Both aircraft ended up in the Potomac River after Wednesday's mid-air collision.
"Sadly, there are no survivors," President Donald Trump said. "This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history."
The plane involved was American Eagle Flight 5342, which originated from Wichita, Kansas. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said 60 passengers and four crew members were on the plane. Three people were in the Black Hawk helicopter — a captain, a staff sergeant and chief warrant officer 2.
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Washington, D.C., Fire Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said Thursday that more than two dozen bodies were pulled from the jet and one body was recovered from the helicopter.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that it was a clear night and both the jet and helicopter were in a "standard flight pattern" at the time of the crash. Duffy added he believes the incident could have been prevented, but expressed confidence in flight safety.
"I guarantee the American flying public that the United States has the most safe and secure airspace in the world," he said. "We have early indicators of what happened here, and I will tell you with complete confidence we have the safest airspace in the world."
The passenger jet was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group.
The National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy said investigators had not yet recovered flight data recorders.
"We know they're there," she said. "They are underwater."
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said the Army helicopter, based in Virginia, was on a training flight when the collision occurred.
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In response to the incident, Reagan National Airport issued a ground stop for all arriving and departing flights. The ground stop was lifted at 11 a.m. Thursday.
