Washington, D.C. [US], January 30: Authorities have confirmed that there are no survivors following a midair collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Recovery operations have now taken over as the primary focus. DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly stated in a press briefing that efforts have transitioned from rescue to recovery.
The incident involved an American Airlines passenger plane with 64 people aboard and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers. The briefing, held at Reagan National Airport, was also attended by Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
"We are now at a point where we're switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident," Donnelly said on Thursday.
Donnelly confirmed that recovery teams had already recovered 28 bodies from the passenger jet and one from the helicopter. Authorities believe all 67 people—64 from the American Airlines flight and three from the Black Hawk—are deceased.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy provided further details about the wreckage, explaining that the American Airlines plane had broken into multiple pieces after crashing into the Potomac River. The fuselage has been located overturned, split into three sections, and submerged in waist-deep water. Recovery operations continue as teams work to retrieve the remaining wreckage.
"The fuselage of the American Airlines plane was inverted and located in three different sections. It's in about waist-deep water, so the recovery is ongoing," Duffy stated.
