i guess what i'm looking for from you is, i mean, i know how the fire affected me, and there's always a constant fear that who's to say something like that won't happen again? that's fair. we committed to underground, 10,000 miles of electric line. you look back at where we were 10 years ago and we are in a completely different place today, and it's because of how we need to care for our communities and our customers. i hope that's true. [joe] that's my commitment. [ambient noise] >> david: tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight." the deadliest air disaster in the u.s. in more than two decades. the midair collision right here

over the potomac river. an american airlines passenger jet and a u.s. army blackhawk helicopter. tonight, authorities now saying no one survived. tonight, surveillance video showing the moment of impact. the sudden fire ball in the sky over washington, d.c. >> crash, crash, crash, this is alert three. >> the alarming call from air traffic control. an american airlines flight out of wichita, kansas, on approach to reagan national airport. the u.s. army black hawk helicopter on a night training mission colliding with the jet. both plunging into the frigid waters of the potomac river. 64 passengers and crew on the plane. three soldiers on the black hawk helicopter. tonight, the witness who told me what he saw, driving home from work. what he witnessed right through his window. and tonight, we're learning about the 67 lives lost. the american airlines pilots. the young figure skaters, their coaches and family members returning from the national championships and camp in wichita. the young stars, many from the boston area. the husband and wife coaching

team. former olympic skater nancy kerrigan tonight in tears talking about those young skaters. among them, a 16-year-old figure skater and what he posted just before that flight took off from wichita. president trump in the white house briefing room calling for a moment of silence. moments later, the president implying dei policies, diversity, equity, and inclusion, might have contributed to the crash. also tonight, the fast-moving investigation now. you will hear the air traffic controller asking the black hawk helicopter, do you see the regional jet? tonight, defense secretary pete hegseth saying a mistake was made. and what early data reveals about altitude. the black hawk flying at 350 feet. authorities on where it should have been. and tonight, new questions about whether that one air traffic controller was doing the work of two controllers. and tonight here, my interview with the d.c. fire chief. what his divers found when they reached the wreckage ten minutes after the crash.

the fuselage in multiple parts. and tonight, images of the black hawk helicopter submerged in the potomac. and what we're now learning about those service members. were they wearing night vision goggles during routine training? our team here on the ground. a special edition of "world news tonight" begins now. >> announcer: from abc news, this is abc "world news tonight" with david muir, reporting tonight from washington, d.c. >> david: good evening tonight from washington, d.c. we are here along the banks of the potomac, the scene of america's deadliest plane crash in nearly 24 years. a u.s. army black hawk helicopter on a night training mission colliding with an american airlines passenger jet, flight 5342, with 60 passengers and four crew members. the jet had taken off from wichita, kansas, and was coming in for landing, nearly reaching runway 33 here. tonight, transportation secretary sean duffy saying, quote, everything was standard

in the leadup to the crash. so, tonight, there are many questions. how could this happen? and you will hear the air traffic controller asking the black hawk, do you see the jet? the army crew answering yes. the images right here tonight. an airport surveillance camera capturing the moment the two aircraft collide. the jet and the black hawk falling into the icy potomac below. the jet breaking into multiple pieces. more than 300 first responders rushing to the scene. firefighters, the u.s. coast guard, the army, and the ntsb. tonight, my interview with the d.c. fire chief who told me his team reached the wreckage in the water ten minutes after the crash. divers working through the night, searching the waters for any possible survivors. among those onboard, 14 figure skaters, their coaches, and family members. on the black hawk, three u.s. service members, experienced pilots, conducting routine training. by daylight, that rescue effort had turned to recovery. tonight, we've learned nearly 40 bodies pulled from the water, but officials say the wreckage will need to be lifted to recover the others.

we know shortly before the crash, the american flight was asked to change runways. the pilots agreed. they changed course. they were coming in. and we know that air traffic control reached the black hawk, and you'll hear the audio, they confirmed seeing that jet. and tonight here, the faces of some of the victims. the young skaters. and president trump today asking for a moment of silence. but then, appearing to imply blame for the crash. but we start here with the investigation, the deadly collision in the air, and so many lives lost. tonight, the deadliest air disaster in the u.s. in nearly 24 years. last night, 8:48 p.m., the deadly catastrophic collision over the potomac river. an american airlines regional jet and a u.s. army black hawk helicopter colliding. the emergency calls were immediate. >> crash, crash, crash, this is alert three. crash, crash, crash, this is alert three. >> david: the regional jet, american airlines flight 5342 from wichita, kansas, was coming in for landing, just 2,400 feet

left to go. >> did you see that? >> david: these images of the deadly collision now being closely examined by federal authorities. the moment captured on an earth cam live stream at the kennedy center. the horror lighting up the night sky in washington. a fireball in the air sending both aircraft plummeting into the icy waist-deep waters of the potomac. the passenger jet breaking into multiple parts. some 300 first responders on the scene in minutes, conducting a massive search and rescue operation. emergency vehicles lining up along the potomac river, using their lights to illuminate the river. helicopters flying overhead, using their search lights to scan the dark, frigid waters. dive teams searching in the water, barely above freezing. late today, d.c. fire chief john donnelly. your team's encountered very challenging conditions. >> yes. the river is dark, it's cold, it's windy. there's ice on there.

and they're looking for a plane. it's under water. so, it's a very challenging response initially, and within ten minutes of the accident happening, the first fire boat found the plane and began to conduct what they would hope to be rescue operations. >> david: chief, you broke the very difficult news today that there were no survivors here. >> yeah. i can't imagine a worse scenario for rescue operations. they've been working really hard. >> david: what did they find in terms of the fuselage of the plane? >> so, you see the pictures now, it's broken up, but it's all in the same area. >> david: and the black hawk helicopter? >> it's in one piece, as best i understand. >> david: overnight, the grim, agonizing wait for desperate families, many who do not live here, who were watching along with the rest of the country, waiting for word. tonight, it is now believed 67 lives lost. 60 passengers and four crew

members on that american airlines regional jet. three service members onboard the u.s. army black hawk helicopter, on a routine training flight, according to the faa. the service members were all experienced. tonight, satellite images of the recovery operation on the potomac. boats gathering near wreckage debris. emergency response vehicles nearby. but they were not needed. and while the investigation is still very early, flight 5342 from wichita was approaching, preparing to land at reagan national airport from the south. minutes before the jet was to land, air traffic controllers asking the american airlines flight to change runways, to land on a shorter runway, runway 33. the pilots agreed, and air traffic control clearing them to land. the pilots adjusting their approach and prepared to come in for landing. reportedly less than 30 seconds before the crash, you hear air traffic control also ask the crew piloting the black hawk helicopter if they saw the regional jet.

the helicopter pilot says yes. >> pat 25, do you have the crj in flight? pass behind the crj. >> pat 25 has aircraft in sight, visual separation. >> david: the controller makes another radio call to that helicopter, telling them to pass behind the crj, the regional jet. there was no reply. seconds later, the collision. and with those 60 passengers and four crew members onboard that plane, the plane's radio transponder stopped transmitting just 2,400 feet before they would have landed. they were just a few hundred feet above the water at that point, right over the middle of the river. tonight, the ntsb says the investigation has just begun. today was their first full day on the scene, and there are many questions. among them, authorities will have to answer whether the helicopter might have mistaken another aircraft in the air as the one air traffic controllers were talking about when they first radioed, asking, do you see that jet? do you have the regional jet in sight? in some of the surveillance, you

can actually see another plane in the air. and that's just one question in this investigation. there are also questions about altitude. why the passenger jet and the black hawk were operating at the same altitude. and how they were able to get so close to one another. the passenger jet's flight data recorder expected to shed light whether the american airlines pilots knew that that black hawk was so close. late today, we spoke with an eyewitness who saw that passenger jet in the air. he was driving home from work. ari shulman. ari, i know you were driving home from work, and you saw that regional jet through the window? >> i did, yes. i saw it out my left window. i was looking ahead when i was driving, but i looked off to my left, knowing that the runway was there and wondering if there might be a plane landing, and i looked and there was, i saw the jet. and when i first looked at it, it was completely normal, it was level flight. everything was fine. >> david: and then moments later, you looked out the window and you saw something very different? >> yes, that's right. i saw little snatches of it for

two, three seconds at a time. but the second time that i looked, it was just a few seconds later, it was turned over on its right side, it had banked all the way to the right. i could see the belly of it underneath. it was lit up a very bright yellow, and there was a stream of sparks coming down the plane, looked to me like from the head to the tail. i didn't see the helicopter the first time i looked or the second time i looked or at any point after. if it was there, it was very, very hard to see. but that's surely what i saw was the immediate moment after that collision. >> david: and tonight, we're beginning to learn about some of the lives lost. among them, the american airlines pilots. first officer samuel lily, 29. his family saying he was newly engaged and just months away from being promoted to captain. also on that flight, u.s. figure skating confirming 14 athletes, skaters, their coaches, and family members also onboard. returning home from the national development camp held in conjunction with the u.s. figure skating championships in wichita.

u.s. figure skating saying in a statement, "we are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts." tonight, russian state media also reporting two russian world champion skaters were on the plane. they were married. many of the skaters were from the skating club of boston. olympic skater nancy kerrigan among the alumni of that program, and today, she was in tears as she spoke of those young skaters. >> the main lesson, i think, learned in skating is, you get back up. keep on trying, and even when it's hard, you get back up. even when you're crying, hurt, pain, you get back up. and move forward. it's not easy. but -- that's what we all have to do now together. >> david: among those lost, u.s. figure skating team member spencer lane, just 16 years old. he shared this photo from onboard the flight, just before taking off from wichita. and he posted this video of himself skating just yesterday,

with the caption, "i am so happy to have qualified for national development camp. it has been my goal almost ever since i became aware that it was a thing. i learned so much and met so many amazing people." one of his coaches today. >> this kid was so talented. he only started skating a few years ago. he came to me, smiling ear to ear, saying, i get it now. i understand. he started to discover this connection with the audience and that joy that he was giving to other people through his gift. >> david: tonight, the crash reminding some in the skating community of a 1961 crash that took the lives of 18 members of the national skating team. 16 family members, coaches, judges, and skating officials flying from new york city to the world championships in prague. the crash blamed on mechanical failure. deadly crashes involving commercial aircraft here in the u.s. are extremely rare. the last one near buffalo, new york, in 2009.

and here in washington tonight, many recalling the crash on the potomac more than 40 years ago in 1982. an air florida flight crashing due to bad weather, killing 78 onboard. >> loss of life in an aviation accident is very unusual in the united states. and our heartfelt sorrow goes out to everyone that's affected. >> david: and tonight, the d.c. fire chief telling me, they now wait for machinery to help move pieces of that jet before they can continue to recover the victims. obviously, there are still some victims in that wreckage. >> absolutely. >> david: we know this hasn't been easy for your teams. >> not at all. >> david: we thank you. we thank you for all you're doing. >> you're welcome. thank you. >> david: thank you. the d.c. fire chief telling me those rescue crews were here in the water and at the wreckage ten minutes after the crash, and, in fact, right over my shoulder here on the potomac, you can see the control tower there tonight, the airplanes in the sky, activity has resumed. and, of course, the fast-moving investigation at this hour. defense secretary pete hegseth saying a mistake was made.

and what early data reveals tonight about altitude. the black hawk flying at 350 feet. authorities on where it should have been. and tonight, also questions about whether that one air traffic controller was actually doing the work of two controllers. gio benitez covers aviation. >> reporter: tonight, as investigators search the wreckage of that midair disaster in the icy potomac river, an early focus is the flight path of that army black hawk helicopter.er appeared to be flying at about 350 feet, according to early flight data, when it should have been flying under 200 feet. defense secretary pete hegseth tonight. >> the military does dangerous things, it does routine things on the regular basis. tragically, last night, a mistake was made. there was some sort of an elevation issue that we have immediately begun investigating. >> reporter: d.c. air space among the busiest in the country, and tonight, a source with direct knowledge confirming reports that the air traffic controller on duty was performing the job normally done by two controllers.

this is usually done when there's less air traffic. but last night, that change from two controllers to one was made 40 minutes earlier than usual, because of lighter traffic. late today, the ntsb responding. >> we have not reviewed any specific reports about the controllers at this time. at least from the leadership team. our investigators are continuing to pull all that information. their personnel records, files, where they were at, if they were fatigued. >> reporter: the union for atc workers saying tonight, it stands with the highly trained, highly skilled workforce. meanwhile, commercial airplanes are equipped with collision avoidance systems designed to prevent these types of crashes. but that system only works at about 1,000 feet or higher. remember, the plane involved in last night's crash was flying about 350 feet from the ground. meanwhile, it was a clear night, so, experts say the pilot of the black hawk helicopter would have been flying visually. and david, we've just learned that the black boxes from the american airlines flight have just been recovered, and they are on the way to the ntsb lab.

david? >> david: a very important development tonight. gio benitez, our thanks to you. and this evening, what we're also learning about the black hawk helicopter. the service members onboard, and their mission. martha raddatz is here with me tonight, and martha, we learned today, they had night vision goggles on. you learned this was routine training, and they were experienced pilots. >> reporter: both very experienced pilots. they have done that run several times themselves in the day, in the night. and they did apparently have those night vision goggles on, that would be unusual if they did not. but that can make it more difficult. helicopter pilots i've talked to in the last 24 hours say it is much more difficult with those night vision goggles on, because you may think you see that plane in front of you, but they may have been looking at the lights of the city or another plane, david. >> david: other aircraft indeed. all right, martha raddatz here with us tonight. martha, thank you. meantime tonight, president trump coming before the cameras in the white house briefing room today, calling for a moment of silence. and then moments later, the

president implying that dei policies, diversity, equity, and inclusion, might have contributed to the crash. mary bruce was in the briefing room. >> reporter: tonight, with the recovery effort under way in the investigation only just beginning, president trump, without any evidence, blaming the diversity policies of his predecessors for the deadly crash. >> a group within the faa, another story, determined that the workforce was too white, that they had concerted efforts to get the administration to change that, and to change it immediately. >> reporter: the president accusing the previous administrations of hiring air traffic controllers based on diversity goals, not qualifications. are you saying this crash was somehow caused and the result of diversity hiring? and what evidence have you seen to support these claims? >> it just could have been. we have a high standard. we've had a much higher standard than anybody else. and there are things where you have to go by brain power.

>> reporter: but trump also acknowledged he wasn't sure if the air traffic controllers made any mistakes. former president biden's transportation secretary pete buttigieg responding, "despicable," saying, "as families grieve, trump should be leading, not lying. we put safety first, drove down close calls, grew air traffic control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch." and david, tonight, president trump is doubling down on these claims that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are to blame for this tragedy, saying it's, quote, because i have common sense. but again, he's presented no evidence, and this investigation is only just beginning. david? >> david: mary bruce in the briefing room today. mary, thank you. when we come back here, the other major news of the night. news coming in on the hostages, in fact, eight have been released in gaza. and right here in the u.s., millions are on alert right now for severe storms from texas right up into the northeast we'll take you through it.

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at the skating club of boston, for those young skaters. i'm david muir reporting from washington. good night. right now. >> 24 hours later, a greater picture of the grief that surrounds america's worst aviation tragedy in more than a decade. >> it is just unimaginable what happened. >> good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm julian glover. tonight, we'll focus on the

tragic midair collision over the potomac involving that helicopter and plane. >> abc seven news anchor karina nova is here in shefs. the latest for us tonight. >> karina and julian this afternoon, the black boxes from the american airlines plane were recovered from the potomac river. they will now be analyzed at the ntsb lab and could offer important clues as to what happened. this investigation is in the very early stages, an american airlines plane just minutes from landing at reagan national airport was hit by a black hawk helicopter on a training mission. dive teams have recovered the bodies of 40 of the 67 victims. others may not be recovered until the plane's wreckage is lifted out of the water. the ntsb is on the scene and says it will have a preliminary report in 30 days. and earlier, a board member delivered this emotional statement. >> a loss of life in an aviation accident is very unusual in the united states, and our heartfelt sorrow goes out to everyone that's affected. it affects us. it affects everyone around us.