airport's closed and then we diverted, but there is no difference. one minute before the curfew or two hours before the curfew, the washington national runs. it's one of the busier airports that controllers are very skilled there. they move a lot of traffic through a small geographic area, but it and it runs the same way. 24 well, during the operational hours. >> the commercial flight that went down in this collision is american airlines flight 5342 from wichita, kansas to washington, dc. everyone in kansas and everyone everywhere should know that kansas senator roger marshall issued a statement saying, i've seen the reports of a collision with a dc helicopter and an inbound flight from wichita, kansas. we are in contact with authorities working to get answers. we ask you to join us in prayer for every single passenger and their families. and john, the. as we continue through the coverage of what we know here, we did get some real specifics about the flight number, the exact kind of aircraft it is, the exactly what the what kind of helicopter it is. what's the next level of information we could expect? well. >> i think that through the thro

the reagan washington national airport closed shortly after the crash. ere diverted to nearby dulles airport. i don't know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach into three three. now we're going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future. pilot came on and said, there's a delay. there's going to be a delay. and that was right before we were getting ready to take off. passengers who were about to take off on their flights had to get off the plane. it was heart wrenching because the fact that i'm on this plane and that could have been us. and so but truly, my heart goes out to. oh my goodness. for all of the everyone that's involved and the faa saying the reagan washington national airport is closed until at least 11 a.m. local time. officials tonight also saying the rescue efforts out on the water will last throughout the night. raj it's going to be a long night and a long couple of weeks there. president trump releasing this statement. i have been fully briefed of the terrible accident which just took

and our washington correspondent trevor shirley is joining us live from reagan national airport wherehat when that plane was headed, trevor? >> hey there. good morning to both of you. for the most part operations here at washington national airport have gotten back to normal. we've seen planes taking off passengers coming in going like it would be on any normal day. certainly not normal, though. this crash scene that sits just off the southern portion of the airfield. let's go ahead and take a look at some of the video from overnight. just to give you a better sense of what rescuers were dealing with at this scene. we know that at least one around 300st responders were on the scene dealing with these 2 downed aircraft. we know 64 people were on american airlines flight. 53. 42 that was flying from wichita, kansas, here to washington national airport in dc it crashed around 09:00pm local time when it collided with that army black hawk helicopter. we know there were 60 passengers on board that american airlines flight along with 4 clue. crew members. there were also 3 people on board th

they're still calling it a rescue effort at washington reagan national airport in washington, dc. this is where a helicopter and a commercial airliner have crashed. they are both in the water right now. we have reports of at least 12 bodies being recovered, although there are various reports of more. but what we do know now from from wrc is that a temporary morgue has been set up in southwest d.c, and bodies are now being transported by boat under tarps to that location. moments ago, we did report that u.s. figure skating has confirmed that several members of their skating community were above aboard american airlines flight 5342. they had been in wichita, kansas from the 20th to the 26th for a skating championships, and then some of them stayed longer for some development classes, and they were several of them on that flight that has crashed. that was american airlines flight 5342, operated by psa airlines. the aircraft was a crj 700. it's a regional jet. seats about 70 people. there were 60 passengers on board with four crew. the other aircraft was an army blackhawk that had thr

they're still calling it a rescue effort at washington reagan national airport in washington, d.c. this is where a helicopter and a commercial airliner have crashed. they are both in the water right now. we have reports of at least 12 bodies being recovered, although there are various reports of more. but what we do know now from, from wrc is that a temporary morgue has been set up in southwest d.c, and bodies are now being transported by boat under tarps to that location. moments ago, we did report that u.s. figure skating has confirmed that several members of their skating community were above aboard american airlines flight 5342. they had been in wichita, kansas from the 20th to the 26th for a skating championships, and then some of them stayed longer for some development classes, and they were several of them on that flight that has crashed. that was american airlines flight 5342, operated by psa airlines. the aircraft was a crj 700. it's a regional jet. it seats about 70 people. there were 60 passengers on board with four crew. the other aircraft was an army blackhawk that had

they're still calling it a rescue effort at washington reagan national airport in washington, dc.s is where a helicopter and a commercial airliner have crashed. they are both in the water right now. we have reports of at least 12 bodies being recovered. although there are various reports of more. but what we do know now from, from wrc is that a temporary morgue has been set up in southwest d.c, and bodies are now being transported by boat under tarps to that location. moments ago, we did report that u.s. figure skating has confirmed that several members of their skating community were above aboard american airlines flight 5342. they had been in wichita, kansas from the 20th to the 26th for a skating championships, and then some of them stayed longer for some development classes, and they were several of them on that flight that has crashed. that was american airlines flight 5342, operated by psa airlines. the aircraft was a crj 700. it's a regional jet. seats about 70 people. there were 60 passengers on board with four crew. the other aircraft was an army blackhawk that had three

it happened near the reagan washington national airport, also called the dca.round 645 last night, american eagle flight 5342 from wichita, kansas, was just minutes away from landing. 60 passengers and four crew members on board the plane collided mid-air with an army blackhawk helicopter carrying three people. the two aircraft crashed into the potomac river, wherees

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airlines commercialjet crashed with a helicopter near washington national airport on wednesday.s were too cold named sanitary trials cannot be named after an appeal by the bbc and other media. hamas names the next three israeli hostages to be released as part of the gaza ceasefire deal. they'll be freed on saturday. on whether to tighten immigration, with the far—right three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. in the potomac river when daylight breaks in washington dc. they suspended the search overnight after an american airlines commercialjet crashed with a helicopter near washington national airport on wednesday. the conditions were too cold for the divers to operate in. 67 people died in the country's worst air disaster in more than 20 years. a preliminary report will be issued in 30 days. we're also starting to get more details about the victims — they include a filipino police officer, two chinese nationals and two russian figure skating stars. investigators have recovered the flight data recorders, also known as black boxes, from an american airlines jet w

a large emergency response for what appears to be a major emergency at dc national airport, reagan national airport in washingtonll runways are closed at reagan national airport. american airlines flight 5342. it was operated by psa airlines, but it was operating as american airlines flight 5342, taking off from wichita, intending to land at reagan washington national airport around 9 p.m, it was approaching runway 33. according to a preliminary statement from the faa, and it collided, according to the faa, in mid-air with the sikorsky h-60 helicopter. the geography of reagan national airport is such that that collision upon approach to that runway appears to have put both of those aircraft into the very icy potomac river, and we are seeing a massive scale rescue operation underway right there. we do not know the number of people who are on board that helicopter. we don't know what helicopter, what that helicopter was associated with. obviously, sikorsky blackhawk helicopters are associated with the us military, but they're used for all different types of

amna: on the news hour tonight officials stopped most helicopters from flying near washington's national airportle they search for clues into what caused the deadly collision with the passenger jet. geoff: a u.n. relief agency has vowed to continue providing aid to gaza. amna: and syria faces the daunting task of rebuilding after 13 years of civil war. how one revolutionary envisions his nation's future. >> i feel like i am a human being again. i am free again. most of us feel we were born just now. ♪ announcer: major funding for the pbs news hour has been provided by -- friends of the news hour including jim and nancy build narc and the robber and virginia schiller foundation. the judy and peter blum kovler foundation, upholding freedom by strengthening democracies at home and abroad. ♪ >> cunard is a proud supporter of public television. on a voyage with cunard the world awaits. a world of flavor, diverse destinations and immersive experiences. a world of leisure. and british style. all with cunard's white star service. >> the john as an james i'll night foundation fostering informed and engag

there are no survivors after a crash at ronald reagan, washington national airport. 60 passengers, 4 crew members and 3 soldiers are believed to be dead. and now the process begins of naming those victims and figuring out how this tragedy could have happened. our washington correspondent reshad hudson begins our team coverage. >> the airport is back open, but there's still an active recovery mission and the potomac river where first responders have spent the day searching for victims. they say they don't expect any survivors. earth cam video shows the moment an american airlines plane and an army helicopter collided in midair just before 09:00pm wednesday near washington, dc's reagan national airport. both helicopter and the plane crashed in the river. president donald trump says the nation is grieving with the victims. together, we take solace in the knowledge that their journey ended not in the cold waters of the potomac, but in the warm embrace of a loving got 64 people were on board. the plane coming from kansas. defense secretary pete hegseth says the experience military crew was

washington. this happened within the last hour. this is a live look again. the plane was headed to reagan national airport in washington, dc from wichita, kansas. a ground stop is now in full effect. inbound flights and outgoing flights into reagan national. senator jerry moran from kansas posted this just just a few minutes ago on twitter. quote, learning that a plane inbound from kansas was involved in a crash at dca. that's reagan national. i am in contact with authorities. again, an apparent collision in the air at reagan national airport. this is just a couple o miles from the white house, one of the primary airports into the washington, dc area. let's bring in retired american airlines pilot and aviation expert doug rice. doug, nice to have your expertise here with us tonight. let's just start with the location of reagan national. i know it's near the white house, but this is one of the airports in that area, correct? that's correct. reagan national is located along the banks of the potomac, on the west side of the river, opposite from the lincoln memorial and the kennedy center. okay. i know you're

national airport about 3 hours later and 8.55. eastern. but tragically, that plane never made it. washington correspondent jessi tenure reports from ronald reagan national airport. she walks us through that massive recovery mission that's underway this morning. take a look. hundreds of first responders are still here on scene while the airport likely remains closed until later this morning. >> i off on and it was just gone. and american airlines flight carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members collided with an army helicopter wednesday night while landing at ronald reagan national airport near washington, d.c., all runway buzz. nobody's going to be no one moving at 3 soldiers were on board the helicopter for a training flight. the crash prompted a large search and rescue operation and the potomac river. i want the folks to back home to just do that. we care that we love them. kansas senators roger marshall and jerry moran were on scene since the regional jet departed from wichita. i know that flight. >> i've flown it many times myself as investigators try to piece together the plane's final

washington, d.c. i'm at reagan national airport. i am joined by united states transportation secretary sean. >> duffy. >> united states senator jim moran, senator roger marshall, jack potter, the ceo of the metropolitan washington airports authority. we are here to brief you on the very tragic events of this evening where we know a passenger plane coming to the airport here collided with a military helicopter. our fire department, dc fire and ems, supported by fire departments and police departments from across the washington metropolitan region, are executing a rescue operation in the potomac river. they are working diligently and very dark and cold conditions. cold water to execute this rescue operation, we have had the opportunity to be briefed by american airlines officials. i'm told that american airlines leadership is on the way to washington as well, and officials are in the airport talking to families. now, we do have a18 hundred number where families should contact us. excuse me, should contact american airlines for more inf

he has flown in and out of washington's reagan national airport for years. >> you've got to hit yourt to fly successfully to that airport. >> reporter: trickier than most? >> far trickier than most. >> reporter: not since this disaster in buffalo in 2009 has america seen a major commercial plane crash. that is nearly 16 years, the longest streak in u.s. aviation history. 50 people were killed. since that crash in buffalo, our aviation system has grown more stressed, more tested every day. increased flights, air traffic controller staffing issues climate change, worsening weather, and more objects to avoid in the sky, including private planes and drones. washington's reagan national airport, designed to service 15 million passengers a year now processes more than 26 million. and it's one of three u.s. airports, along with new york's jfk and laguardia, relying on runway slots to limit air traffic. the faa considers those airports capacity constrained. how much of it is reliant on humans getting it right? >> well, everything has gotten better fast. people, however, remain an issue. seei

amna: on the news hour tonight officials stopped most helicopters from flying near washington's national airport clues into what caused the deadly collision with the passenger jet. geoff: a

law enforcement agencies and first responders search for people overnight at reagan national airport near washington, d.c., president donald trump addressing the nation this morning in the wake of this disaster. >> million americans. our hearts are shattered alongside years and our prayers are with you now. and in the days to come, we'll find out how this disaster occurred and will ensure that nothing like ever happens again. the faa and the ntsb and the u.s. military will be carrying out a systematic and comprehensive investigation. >> and just a short time ago, the ntsb wrapped up a briefing. they said they are working to determine the cause of this crash and plans release another report in 30 days. >> well, 30, this. >> taking a live look outside at this gorgeous view out there. but of course, we're also seeing a lot of clouds to kyla. that's right. and course, the thought of rain is on everyone's mind because we've got some rain coming in as we head towards the weekend right now, though, certainly see those cloudy skies. notice that it is lightning up, though, there in san jose. we should see a

. >> the investigation is in full swing along the potomac river next to ronald reagan washington national airport in washington, dc. as to what may have gone wrong and caused an american airlines commercial jet and a blackhawk helicopter to collide, as seen in this earth cam video. we spoke with former ntsb investigator greg feith and former blackhawk helicopter pilot elizabeth mccormick. >> the one concern i really have is why the blackhawk crew was not at 200ft or lower. >> they should not have been that high. that is that, in my opinion, unless there was a mechanical issue, that would be pilot error. >> why was this particular crew, the blackhawk crew above that 200ft? they were actually closer to 400ft, which put them right at the same altitude. the maneuvering altitude of the regional jet. >> 64 people were on board the american airlines plane, which had departed from wichita, kansas. three soldiers were on the helicopter. there are also questions as to what regional jet or rj, the blackhawk pilot, saw before the collision. >> when the controller issued. hey, do you see that? rj and he asked

airlines commercialjet crashed with a helicopter near washington national airport on wednesday.

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he is a retired pilot who is very experienced flying in and out of reagan washington national airportank you so much for being with us. and we keep hearing about how this is a very complicated airport. it has the busiest runway in the country, but you have all the flight restrictions that are involved in being around the seat of the federal government. tell us from your experience countless times flying in and out of reagan, how complicated and sensitive is this airspace? >> well. >> you got to you got as a pilot. you got to be on your a game in and out of that out of reagan. this is a lot of concrete in a very small area with limited runways and limited runway length. so you know, before you get in there, you're focused on what has to happen. the procedures have actually gotten more complicated since i've i've flown in there. essentially, you're doing an approach that involves basically turning points in the sky. they're called waypoints. and this starts this arrival starts 80 miles out, but you transition to this instrument arrival per se, and then into a visual situation. add in a

have recovered boxes, from the american airlines plane involved in wednesday's crash at washington national airports according to our us media partners cbs news. these are live pictures from the potomac river between thecommercial aeroplane and a military helicopter. both crashed into the river, just outside the nation's capitol killing 67 people. there were no survivors. to the airport after flying in from witchita kansas last army blackhawk helicopter. years and the first since 2009. while it's not clear what caused this accident at this point, the new york times is reporting that was, "not normal" for the time of day or the volume of day — that's according to our us media partners cbs news. inman became emotional speaking about the victims later today, we will briefing the families. we formally try to this before formally try to do this before a media but in this aimiedia event. but in this they're arriving. case, they're still arriving. our assistance our family assistance specialists are already working ;§q;e;;€:l§;li5t5 are already working with local sgyegcgiaglists are already working with l

national airport. that's where we find our washington correspondent reshad hudson. he has the latest details were shot. have the operations there at the airport returned to normal? are there any other ongoing safety concerns? >> just seen as you can see, the airport has reopened and people are boarding flights as we speak. so things are back to normal in some capacity here at the airport. but over at the potomac river, the crash site that grim recovery effort begins and it has continued throughout the day were first responders have been trying pull. some of the victims are what's left out and put him in a place to for identification purposes. but here at the airport of talk to several people, they say they feel comfortable and safe. many of boarding planes as we speak. >> and the ntsb had an update just a few hours ago. i was listening to it and i'm curious what stood out to you. >> yet during that news conference with the ntsb chair, she said that they have not located flight data recording recorder that devices key to their investigation. she said whatever they're

. >> the investigation is in full swing along the potomac river next to ronald reagan washington national airport in washington, dc. as to what may have gone wrong and caused an american airlines commercial jet and a blackhawk helicopter to collide, as seen in this earth cam video. we spoke with former ntsb investigator greg feith and former blackhawk helicopter pilot elizabeth mccormick. >> the one concern i really have is why the blackhawk crew was not at 200ft or lower. >> they should not have been that high. that is that, in my opinion, unless there was a mechanical issue, that would be pilot error. >> why was this particular crew, the blackhawk crew above that 200ft? they were actually closer to 400ft, which put them right at the same altitude. the maneuvering altitude of the regional jet. >> 64 people were on board the american airlines plane, which had departed from wichita, kansas. three soldiers were on the helicopter. there are also questions as to what regional jet or rj, the blackhawk pilot, saw before the collision. >> when the controller issued. hey, do you see that? rj and he asked

internal report on the collision found staffing in the air traffic control tower at reagan washington national airport not normal for the amount of air traffic and the time of day. the tower typically has a controller who focuses on helicopter traffic, but at the time of the crash last night, the source tells nbc news, one controller was overseeing both airplane and helicopter activity. faa guidelines do allow for this position to be combined. president trump today questioning the helicopter role in the deadly crash. the helicopter obviously was in the wrong place at the wrong time. the big question tonight, why the ntsb now confirms the flight data recorders have been recovered. the flight recorder, which is what the equipment actually did, that sort of tells you what happened. and we probably we sort of know what happened from the video, why it happened. it comes from the voice recorder where you can hear the communication between the pilots and what they're thinking and saying. d.c. fire and ems say friday. divers will work with the ntsb to conduct additional searches to locate aircraft parts. they

collided with an army black hawk helicopter as it was coming into land at ronald reagan, washington national airport near washington, d.c.c this video from earth cam at the kennedy space center captures the impact. you see that big flash followed by debris falling down. thank you for joining us here on kron for news at 11. >> i'm noelle bellow and i'm dan thorn, a massive search and rescue effort underway right now in the potomac river. this crash happening around 09:00pm eastern time. we're going to be taking a live picture now right now of the scene. a huge response. multiple law enforcement agencies are out there right now. they've been out there for hours. there have been multiple fatalities reported. and that's according to a person that is familiar with the matter. but that precise number of victims still unclear at this hour. it has been 5 hours of search and rescue efforts. it is cold out there tonight. >> but those crews have remained on scene looking for anyone in the water there. american airlines has confirmed that there were 60 passengers on board as well as a 4 crew members about was a

dive operations have been suspended in the potomac river near reagan national airport in washington,.c., the site of the crash. investigators say dangerous conditions are making it just impossible to continue until daybreak, but two pieces of crucial evidence have been retrieved, the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. for the very latest, we turn to cbs' erica brown at the scene. >> reporter: recovery crews spent all day thursday combing the potomac river, searching for the remains of those lost in the horrific collision just short of the runway at reagan national airport. >> at this point we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident. >> reporter: officials say there were 64 people on board the american airlines regional jet from wichita, kansas, and three from the u.s. army black hawk helicopter when they slammed into each other as the jet was preparing to land just before 9:00 wednesday night. >> crash, crash, crash, this is alert 3, crash, crash, crash. >> reporter: the plane now sits upside down in waist high water in the potomac. cbs news has lea

it happened near the reagan washington national airport in d.c. around 645 last night. and new animation is giving us a better view of the flight path. american eagle flight 5342 from wichita, kansas, was just minutes from landing. it had 60 passengers and four crew members on board. the plane collided mid-air with an army blackhawk helicopter carrying three people. the two aircraft crashed into the potomac river. about 40 of the 67 bodies recovered so far. the recovery operation will resume first thing tomorrow morning. among those killed, sam lilly. he was the copilot of the passenger plane. lilly was originally from richmond hill, georgia. he attended georgia southern university before pursuing his aviation career. tonight, he's being remembered by a friend and former track teammate for his kindness and positivity. i remember days in track, you know, coming into practice. everybody's tired. everybody is, you know, beat from the workout. and he's very uplifting. never complained once, you know, just very motivating as a person and as a teammate. no matter the conversa

reporting from reagan washington national airport, erica brown, cbs news. >> all right, we will revisitt breaking news toward the end of this broadcast. >>> for now, some other headlines. remember these scenes earlier this month down in pasadena in elderly people being frantically evacuated. law enforcement and volunteers rushed to get people to safety. some were even put in s.w.a.t. vehicles. two l.a. county sheriff's deputies are being called heroes because they helped rescue a 100-year-old woman found alone in an evacuated altadena assisted living facility. we talked to them about their search. >> where are you? oh, hi. >> reporter: this is when l.a. county sheriff's deputies nicholas martin ez and quin found a 100-year-old woman. >> i'm trying to find a way out. >> let's get you out of here. >> don't lose me. >> i promise i won't. >> reporter: the time stamp is from the 10:00 a.m. hour on january 8th, the morning after the eaton fire first broke out. >> oh my gosh. >> reporter: the deputies were tasked with going to this living center, one of thousands of places put under an evacuat

perhaps. >> we've just been listening senators and mayor washington, d.c., speaking about the plane and helicopter crash that at reagan national airport tonight in washington, d.c.. thank you for joining us here on kron for news at 10. >> i'm noelle bellow and i'm dan thorn and there is a massive search and rescue effort that is right now under way. and the potomac river in this crash happened around 09:00pm eastern time. so we are now entering the 4th hour of rescue efforts. and this is a live picture of the scene that we're going to right now of what has been playing out this passenger jet crashing with a helicopter, multiple law enforcement agencies are out there on scene. we've been seeing this for several hours now. we still don't have at this hour. an official number of people who may be injured or possibly dead. yeah. american airlines, however, did confirm. >> it was 60 passengers, 4 crew members who were aboard this american eagle flight. 53, 42, it's a regional flight from wichita, kansas, to d c submitting it to smaller aircraft are so here's a map right here from flight aware that showing the plane's flight path it took of

it happened near the reagan washington national airport, also called the dca. around 645 last night, american eagle flight 5342 from wichita, kansas, was just minutes away from landing. 60 passengers and four crew members on board the plane collided mid-air with an army blackhawk helicopter carrying three people. the two aircraft crashed into the potomac river, where rescue crews have been working around the clock to recover bodies from the frigid water. at least 40 have been recovered so far. among the victims, several members of the u.s. figure skating community. a moment of silence held during the broadcast today of the european figure skating championships in estonia. the skaters, coaches and their family members were returning home from a training camp at the u.s. championships in wichi, kansas. two former figure skating world champions from russia also confirmed among the victims tonight. ntsb officials are assuring the public that they will leave no stone unturned as they investigate the cause of the deadly crash. our mission is to understand not just wh

washington, d.c. i'm at reagan national airport. i am joined by united states transportation secretary sean duffy, united states senator jim moran, senator roger marshall, i'm jack potter, the ceo of the metropolitan washington airports authority. we are here to brief you on the very tragic events of this evening, where we know a passenger plane, uh, coming to the airport here collided with a military helicopter. our fire department, dc fire and ems, supported by fire departments and police departments from across the washington metropolitan region, are executing a rescue operation in the potomac river. they are working diligently and very dark and cold conditions. cold water to execute this rescue operation. we have had the opportunity to be briefed by american airlines officials. i'm told that american airlines leadership is on the way to washington as well, and officials are in the airport talking to families. now, we do have a18 hundred number where families should contact us or excuse me, should contact american airlines for mor

important that the helicopters fly at about 200ft in order to be beneath the traffic going into washington national airport. now, that aircraft at that point would have been at about 500ft. so on a good day, that's 300ft. that's not a lot of leeway. so is it possible with the air traffic controller who was communicating with this crew said, you know, avoid this crash on approach. could they have mistaken some other aircraft? there were other aircraft flying in the vicinity or for that matter, not seeing it through the city lights? it can be very difficult at night in an environment like that to pick out traffic amid the all the lights which are in the city. so, uh, it's quite possible they thought they saw the traffic they were supposed to avoid, were focused on avoiding the wrong traffic. and in so doing flew in to the american airlines flight. tragically. >> colonel cedric leighton. sarah, here, i want to ask you a couple of things. one is we've been hearing from the mayor. john just spoke to d.c. mayor bower, who said that the commercial flight followed its normal path. everything normal, but said nothi

washington. reagan national airport since, i don't know, the mid 70s. it is a challenging airport, but it's one i always enjoy flying in and out of. there's a lot of traffic. the air traffic controllers do a really good job about keeping airplanes separated, and the processes and procedures that pilots follow are very rigorous there. so this is things that the investigators are going to look at. i was very surprised that this occurred in that airspace. the last american air carrier that had a major accident was colgan in 2009. there have been some other serious incidents, you know, asiana in san francisco. but as far as an american air carrier in the united states, it's been 16 years. so what happened here? there's a lot of questions that they will be answers to. secretary duffy will, i'm sure and certainly make make sure that the adequate assets are there to get those answers. so it's a slow process, but it's one that works. >> a new york times investigation in 2023 found that in july of that year, there were 46 close calls with commercial airlines. wh

and just for folks who are joining us, i mean, the washington national airport, reagan national airport is one of the busiest airports in the country. in this region, and it is closed now. every flight has stopped coming in. no flights are leaving. the entire response right now is on trying to rescue anyone who can be rescued from this devastating crash. audrey, thank you very much for giving us that information. stand by for us. david soucie, cnn's safety analyst and former faa safety inspector, is with us as well. david, i want to talk to you about all the reasons why these types of crashes have been extraordinarily rare, not just crashes involving commercial aircraft, but crashes between aircrafts. the last one that we had in 2009, a plane crashed into a home. and after that it set off a major change to the industry. what do you think could have caused this to happen after all of those changes and all of the safety regulations that are in place for airlines? >> well. >> it is baffling the fact that we've gone so many years since 2009 without any kind of an accident like this. we've h

tonight, tragedy at washington's reagan national airport.eagle flight 5342 from wichita, kansas, coming in for landing, colliding with the u.s. army black hawk helicopter. this live stream from the kennedy center's earth cam webcam showing the explosion in the air. the plane, carrying 60 passengers and four crew. the black hawk, confirmed to have three army soldiers on board. tonight, the u.s. figure skating team confirming that several members were on board. >> did you see that thing? you saw there? affirmative. 832. >> sorry, i don't know if he caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach on the 33. we're going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future. if you want to go back to the gate. highly suggest you guys coordinate with company. let me know what you want to do. >> all right. we'll let the company talking to them right now. yeah, we witnessed the whole thing. >> authorities addressing the incident at a late night press conference. >> at 848. an alert was sounded initiating a large regional r

joining me now scott pa tio, retired commercial airline pilot felony into ronald reagan washington national airport several times and michael pearson aviation attorney law professor. scott, i will start with you. your reaction to this new reporting that another plane had to abort landing at reagan a day before because of a helicopter? >> it's not surprising, laura because the pilots are trained in situations like this where they continue to press down: the captain will command a go around if though see something that is questionable at any moment. it's not surprising but as you mentioned the frequency of these are going to continue to happen as industry continues to push more and more capacity at these airports and more and more system at breaking point training. we got a lot of inexperienced pilots out there coming along. and getting trained and getting up to speed. but, the breaking point is approaching, last night it was absolutely tragic. from an aviation professional, our hearts our prayers and condolences and thoughts are with the victims. and first responders and the controllers in the tower

members collided with an army helicopter wednesday night while landing at ronald reagan national airport near washington, d.c., all runway that has nobody going to be no one moving at 3 soldiers were on board the helicopter for a training flight. the crash prompted a large search and rescue operation and the potomac river. i want the folks to back home to just do that. we care that we love them. kansas senators roger marshall and jerry moran were on scene since the regional jet departed from wichita. i know that flight. >> i've flown it many times myself as investigators try to piece together the plane's final moments. president donald trump said he had been, quote, fully briefed on this terrible accident and referring to the passengers added, quote, may god bless their souls when one person guys, it's a tragedy. but when many, many, many people die. it's an unbearable sorrow. us figure skating did confirm some of their athletes, coaches and family members were on the flight. >> traveling back home here from a competition in wichita in arlington, virginia. i'm jessi tenure. >> when a tragedy like this h

:00pm eastern time last night as the passenger plane was coming in to land at reagan national airport near washington, d.c.. >> this is video from earth cam at the kennedy center observation deck. it captures the moment of impact. you could see a couple lights and then they get closer and closer. and then that big flash, the explosion and then you see some debris falling down right now. first responders are in more of a recovery mode in the potomac river, which is about 36 degrees so far, at least 30 bodies have been recovered. the passengers include figure skaters returning from the u.s. figure skating championships in wichita, kansas, flights in and out of reagan have now resumed right now. the ntsb is focusing on trying to figure out exactly what happened at such a tragedy all the way around. we begin our team coverage of this >> event now with our kron four's dan kerman. he is live at sfo. this afternoon. dan, we spoke with aviation experts today about what? >> maybe next in the investigation into this crash. what are they telling you? that's right. as you know, the ntsb has assembled a whole tea

collided in midair with a sikorsky h60 helicopter while on approach to runway 33 at reagan washington national airport around 9:00 p.m. local time. psa was operating flight 5342 as american airlines departing from wichita, kansas. what they do not know about this is that there were passengers on board and we don't know how many. we do know that a crj-700 bombardier plane is a twin jet engine. it can hold up to at most 78 passengers it's usually a copilot and one maybe two there and we do a video and we are making sure that the video is accurate. we want to check before we put it on air but there is video of the crash we believe as soon as we can verify with the video being shown to you. and very quickly over to you. what kind of response and how quick was the response? >> almost instantaneous. we saw emergency cars from all different directions and the geography is very important with the intersection of three states such as maryland and virginia and the district of columbia. and with the federal government and maryland and emergency teams responding as well as virginia teams responding. and as we get

army black hawk helicopter while attempting to land at reagan washington national airport. the helicopter was carrying three crew members. the two aircraft crashed into the potomac river, where a rescue operation has become a major recovery effort. there were no survivors on either craft so far. dozens of bodies have been pulled from the frigid waters of the potomac, according to u.s. figure skating. 14 american figure skaters, coaches and family members were among those on board the passenger jet. they were returning from a development camp that followed the u.s. figure skating championships in wichita. as the nation waits for answers as to what caused that midair collision between the passenger jet and military helicopter, we are learning more details about those on board as well as rescue efforts. fox news correspondent rebecca castro has the latest now from arlington, virginia. and rebecca, authorities made it very clear we won't be getting answers any time soon. >> right. gasia again, not too many new details from that national transportation safety board briefing that

reagan national airport in. >> washington. >> dc and other aircraft. i think.so could clearly affect the army helicopter pilots spatial relationship and understanding of where they were. >> this is now the first crisis for the new defense secretary, pete hegseth, who's been posting on social media. he was at this press conference inside the white house briefing room with president trump. what kind of test do you see this? as for the new administration? >> well, you know. >> hedgepath is. >> a. >> very bright guy, experienced combat soldier, well-educated, articulate, quick to. to speak. >> he ought to be very careful. >> what he's saying. >> i to be honest, i was. appalled at the press conference. turning this into a savage. >> political attack. >> on. >> the by name. >> on the. >> previous transportation. secretary and. >> two previous presidents. >> this is no time. >> for. >> partizan politics. they need. >> to shut up until they find. >> out the. >> facts. and. >> to. >> to blame it on incompetence of the air. >> traffic control. system at this. >> point is

washington, d.c. and the surrounding area. it is going to be a very tough day in kansas indeed for the nation. we will continue our coverage now of this tragic event on approach to washington national airport. >> 2 a.m. here in washington. tragedy striking in the skies over the nation's capital, an american airlines flight coming in for a landing at ronald reagan national airport, colliding with an army helicopter. search and rescue teams are now racing against time in the hopes of finding survivors. hi, everybody. i'm kevin corke has mentioned in washington, where it is 2 a.m. >> and i'm jonathan hunt, live in los angeles. it's 11 p.m. pacific time here. a huge emergency response dispatched, as you would imagine, to the scene. at this point, the number of fatalities has not been confirmed. but we do know there were 64 people on board the american airlines jet. the airline has offered its condolences just a short time ago. >> i'd like to express our deep sorrow about these events. this is a difficult day for all of us at american airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders along with their families and loved on

canceled today, including all flights scheduled for the rest of the evening at ronald reagan washington national airportnightmare of a travel day at least in this region. good evening, mark. >> bret it, sure is likely the nightmare is going to continue. tomorrow, the snow still falling right now at this hour. reagan national having an impact here more than 400 flights according to flight aware canceled today just at this airports. we saw airline hubs like chicago and detroit also have cancellations but nowhere near as many. the midwest certainly got its fair share of the snow. temperatures tonight in places like indianapolis still in the mid 20's where we saw people that mostly stayed home today. they decided not to go into the office. but those who did in places like louisville, kentucky, told fox they would rather have walked to work than risked getting out on the roads. >> it's a lot of snow. this is something usual like i mentioned i'm from the chicago area. this is something usual like from where i'm originally from. but it's a lot. and it's hoping people are staying safe. >> the roads across the m

meanwhile, in washington, d.c., we have our correspondent in a reporting from reagan national airport on what we know >> at this moment about the investigation. >> we are a country of really we are in mourning the flash over the potomac river shows the deadly crash of an american airlines flight and a military helicopter. we do know that the un 2 planes at the same level yet and their helicopter and a plane. should have happened. both president donald trump and transportation secretary sean duffy say the crash could have been avoided but wouldn't say why the american airlines crj 700 operated by psa airlines was on final approach to reagan national airport. the transportation secretary says a normal flight path. the military helicopter secretary duffy says was also flying a standard flight path and the helicopter new the passenger plane was there. the american airlines ceo says the commercial flight crew was experienced. we don't know why the military aircraft came into the past. the psa aircraft, secretary of defense pete headsets as the military crew was also experienced on a yearly