American Airlines Flight 5342 and Black Hawk Helicopter Seen Colliding over Potomac River in Horrifying Video
Warning: graphic footage follows
Video footage shows the harrowing moment an American Airlines passenger plane collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
American Airlines flight 5342 had departed Wichita, Kan. before crashing into the military aircraft over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport around 9 p.m. local time, the FAA said in an initial statement to PEOPLE.
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In the footage, the plane and helicopter are seen striking one another before a flare of light blasts, and they land in the river.
Sixty passengers and four crew members were on board the American Airlines plane, the airline said in a statement. CNN also reported that the U.S. Army Black Helicopter had three soldiers on board.
Eighteen bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River and at least three debris fields were in the water, a police official at the scene told CBS News.
Four people were removed from the water and taken to a local hospital, according to NBC 4.
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The American Airlines flight reportedly split in half after the collision. The plane split in two and landed about seven feet of water, NBC4 reports, citing two first responder sources.
The Black Hawk helicopter ended upside down in the Potomac River.
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The Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that multiple agencies are currently coordinating a search and rescue operation in the Potomac River and “there is no confirmed information on casualties at this time.”
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts,” American Airlines said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly,” their statement continued.
