Passenger Plane Collides With Military Helicopter Mid-Air
. 64 People Aboard Passenger Jet
.Three Soldiers Aboard Helicopter
. Search, Rescue Continues
A passenger plane carrying 64 people has collided mid-air with a military helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC.
The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 jet collided with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at around 9pm on Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
American Eagle Flight 5342 was coming from Wichita, Kansas.
American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were aboard the jet: 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, which was on a training flight, a U.S. official said.
The number of casualties is unclear, as a search-and-rescue operation is ongoing.
Among the passengers were figure skating athletes, coaches and family members who had been at a development camp in Wichita, U.S. Figure Skating said.
The U.S Figure Skating stated: “Several members of our skating community” were on the regional jet that crashed after a midair collision with a helicopter near Washington, D.C.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,”
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” it said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.” it stated.
