Trump calls plane crash in Washington a "tragedy of horrific proportions"
Category
Events
Publication date

Trump calls plane crash in Washington a "tragedy of horrific proportions"

Washington
Source:  Fox News

On January 30, a regional passenger plane collided with a helicopter in midair as it approached the runway at Washington's Reagan National Airport. US President Donald Trump said there were no survivors in the plane crash.

Points of attention

  • US President Donald Trump expresses sorrow over the regional passenger plane collision with a helicopter at Washington's Reagan National Airport.
  • The tragic incident resulted in no survivors, with 18 bodies already recovered from the Potomac River near the airport.
  • The plane crash involved a Bombardier CRJ700 passenger plane and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, leading to a devastating outcome.
  • Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the crash site as investigations continue to determine the cause of the midair collision.
  • The plane was reportedly carrying figure skaters and coaches, shedding light on the heartbreaking loss of talented individuals in the aviation tragedy.

No one survived — Trump on plane crash in Washington

He stated this at a press conference on January 30.

Sadly, no one survived. It was a dark and painful night in our nation's capital and in our country's history, a tragedy of horrific proportions. And as one people, we mourn every precious soul so suddenly taken from us.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump

President of the United States

Plane crash in Washington: what is known

Earlier, the US Federal Aviation Administration reported that the plane crash occurred at around 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 29, local time (around 4 a.m. on January 30, Kyiv time).

A Bombardier CRJ700 passenger plane operated by PSA Airlines crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after a mid-air collision with a Sikorsky H-60 (Black Hawk) helicopter. CNN later reported that both the plane and the helicopter had crashed into the water. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

At around 7 a.m. Kyiv time, CBS News reported that 18 bodies had been found in the water. A police spokesman at the scene told reporters this. He added that no survivors had been found at that time.

Airplane crash in Washington

Meanwhile, the Russian propaganda agency TASS, citing sources, reported that the plane was supposedly carrying Russian pair figure skating world champions Shishkova and Naumov. A little later, TASS added that the plane was probably also carrying bronze medalist of the USSR pair skating championship Inna Volyanskaya.

Channel2 NOW has released the names of the skaters and coaches confirmed to be on the plane. It says there were at least 11 figure skaters on board: Spencer Lane, Jinna Khan, Franco Aparicio, Everly and Alidia Livingston, Sean Kay, Angela Young, Edward Zhou, Vadim Naumov, Evgenia Shishkova and Inna Volyanskaya.

The plane was American Airlines Flight 5342. It departed from Wichita, Kansas. The Bombardier CRJ700 can accommodate 65 passengers. NBC News reported, citing a source, that the plane, which departed from Wichita, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The airline later confirmed this information.

The U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the plane was performing a training flight.

By staying online, you consent to the use of cookies files, which help us make your stay here even better 

Based on your browser and language settings, you might prefer the English version of our website. Would you like to switch?