Washington DC plane crash live updates: Thirty bodies recovered after American Airlines flight collides with helicopter – BBC.com
Efforts to recover the bodies of those who died in Wednesday’s air crash near Washington DC have resumed on the Potomac riverSixty-seven people were killed when an American Airlines regional jet and US army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Washington’s Reagan National airportOfficials in Washington say they are going to attempt to salvage the wreckage of both aircraft on FridayInvestigators have recovered the flight data recorders, known as black boxes, from the wreckage of the passenger plane – a preliminary report into the crash will be issued in 30 daysPosting on his Truth Social account, US President Donald Trump said – without providing evidence – that the military helicopter “was flying too high, by a lot” This video can not be playedRos Atkins on… the Washington DC plane crashEdited by Rorey Bosotti and Matt SpiveyOfficials have now resumed their recovery operation at the site of the crash, as this footage shows.Divers were forced to pause their search and recovery efforts in the Potomac River on Thursday due to dangerous conditions in the water.This video can not be playedWatch: Recovery resumes at Washington DC crash site on FridayStav DanaosLead weather presenterWeather conditions remain unfavourable for search and rescue in the area today. An active weather system continues to move through the region with overcast skies bringing persistent, and at times, heavy rain. Winds will be fresh to strong throughout the day. Temperatures will be milder today, compared to recent days, with highs of around 14C (57F), although it won’t feel mild with the cloud, breeze and rain.After the recent very cold snap across the central and eastern USA, the waters of the River Potomac remain very cold, with average water temperatures at the crash site hovering around 2 degrees (37F).Conditions improve into the weekend across the DC area, with drier and sunnier weather forecast – although it will turn chiller again with day maxes of 9 or 10C (48 to 50F) and chilly nights, with perhaps a touch of frost.As Washington DC faces another day, the wreckages of the plan and helicopter involved in the collision lay in the water, underneath the flight path of Ronald Reagan Washington National airport:A photo from earlier this morning shows a Police boat guarding the crash site on the Potomac RiverPresident Trump has taken to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to claim that the Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s deadly crash was “flying too high, by a lot”. “The Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???,” Trump writes.As a reminder, an investigation into what led to the crash is currently under way, with a preliminary report expected to be released within the next 30 days.Investigations are ongoing into the cause of the fatal crash which saw a collision between a passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington DC.The helicopter appears to have been flying above the permitted altitude, according to analysis by the BBC’s US partner CBS News.Recordings of air traffic control conversations published online suggest a controller tried to warn the helicopter about the American Airlines plane in the seconds before the collision.American Airlines has told the BBC that flights running from Wichita, Kansas to Washington DC are set to resume today.Flight number AA5677 operates six times a week, a spokesperson for the airline said.Meanwhile, the Reagan National Airport – close to where the collision happened and the destination of the passenger plane – is “operating normally, including all customer services”, the airport says.An American Airlines flight to Miami set off from the airport ahead of schedule early this morning, with further departures currently expected to run on time.As we’ve been reporting, a passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter were involved in a crash on Wednesday night. The CRJ-700 plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew. The aircraft is a twin engine, medium range jet, Sky Brary says on its website.The passenger plane is 106ft 1in (32.3m) long, more than double the 50ft 1in (15.27m) US army helicopter. There were three soldiers on board the helicopter. Adam GoldsmithLive reporterIt’s lunchtime in the UK, and as Washington DC braces for another day of recovery efforts on the Potomac River, here’s a look back at what you need to know.Investigators have recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, known as black boxes, from the American Airlines plane. The recorders will be analysed at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) lab, nearby the site of the crash, according to CBS.Multiple factors are being considered in the investigation, officials say, as media reports suggest that one air traffic controller was doing the work of two people at the time of the crash.The names of some of the 67 victims killed in the fatal crash are being released. Including crew members and passengers on the plane, and two of the three crew on board the US army helicopter.Overnight, recovery efforts were paused due to “difficult conditions” as DC’s emergency services say they expect to work with NTSB to “conduct additional searches and begin operations to salvage the aircraft”. Weather conditions are not expected to be particularly favourable today, BBC Weather’s Sarah Keith-Lucas reports.We’ll continue to bring you the latest updates and analysis from our teams in London and Washington DC, stay with us.Victoria Park-FroudBBC NewsI’ve been speaking with Mo Khimji, a pilot who regularly flies in and out of Reagan National Airport.He says the airport and surrounding airspace are extremely congested and that even with all the superb training pilots receive, this exposes vulnerabilities.“If we are landing on the river and we have a strong right to left crosswind, we have to be cognizant of it. A late turn can result in that wind pushing us into the restricted airspace by a whisker,” Mo tells me. “There are times when we are watching planes land and we find ourselves saying ‘whoa that is close’.”Having said that air traffic control does an exemplary job. This was an absolute tragedy and could have been avoided,” he adds. Sarah Keith-LucasWeather presenterWeather conditions are currently chilly, damp and breezy in
Washington. Over recent hours, the southerly wind has been picking up, and at
2am local time was around 11mph. Light rain has started falling, and
temperatures are around 6C and will continue to fall over the next few hours.The forecast into Friday is not looking particularly
favourable. There will be some fairly persistent rain accompanied with
moderate south-westerly winds. It will turn milder though, with air
temperatures reaching around 14C by the afternoon.Looking ahead to the weekend, things will turn cooler but
also drier and brighter as high pressure builds in from the west. Highs will
reach around 9 or 10C by day, but ice and frost are likely on Saturday
night though as temperatures fall to around -2C.Rescue teams are facing “terrible conditions” in the recovery operation at the Potomac River, a former US Coast Guard member has said. Shannon Scaff, a senior risk consultant, says rescue teams are working in “low to zero visibility” and have the currents of the river and the fuselage of the aircraft to contend with. They’re also operating in “cumbersome” suits to protect them from the cold, he adds.”The deck is stacked against them,” Scaff says.Coast Guard teams searched the Potomac River yesterdayTurning attention back to the investigation now, it’s just turned 06:45 in Washington DC and daylight is emerging onto the site of the fatal plane crash, where we’re expecting recovery operations to resume.The city’s fire and emergency department says: “Divers will work with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to conduct additional searches to locate aircraft components, to support the investigation, and begin operations to salvage the aircraft.” No survivors are expected to be recovered from the Potomac River, and the names of some of the victims of the crash are slowly being released. Stick with us as we bring you updates on the recovery efforts and the search for answers.Senator Roger Marshall issued a joint statement with Ron Estes yesterdayAs the names of some of the 67 people killed in the fatal crash are slowly emerging, US politicians are paying tribute to members of their communities who lost their lives. Governor of Rhode Island Dan McKee says the state’s “heart breaks for their devastating loss”, after figure skater Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother Christine Lane were killed.Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin says that he’s learned “Virginia families were among those lost”, but has not identified the victims himself.In Wichita, Kansas, where the flight to Washington DC departed, US Senators Ron Estes and Roger Marshall issued a joint statement. They say “it’s likely that many of us directly or indirectly know people who were on Flight 5342”, adding that it is a “sad day for Kansans and our nation”.”This community – steeped in aviation and manufacturing history – will feel the pain of this catastrophe for years to come.”At least 14 figure skaters were on board the passenger plane that collided with a US army helicopter on Wednesday – here’s some more detail on them.Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother Christine Lane, were both on the flight. Spencer’s father Douglas tells local media his son was “a force of nature” who showed “drive and tenacity” to the sport.Jinna Han, 13, and her mother Jin Han are also confirmed to have died in the crash.Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, Russian ice skating coaches were also killed in the crash, the Kremlin confirmed. They leave behind their 24-year-old son, Max, who followed his parents into figure skating.Cory Haynos was travelling home from the US Ice Skating Championships with his parents, Roger Haynos and Stephanie Branton Haynos, a family member wrote on social media. Roger’s cousin, Matthew Alan LaRavier, says he had “absolute love for his family”.Inna Volyanskaya – a former skater for the Soviet Union – was also on board the flight, according to Russian news agency Tass.Alexandr Sasha Kirsanov, a former coach was on board the plane, the University of Delaware says. His wife told ABC News she had “lost everything”. Twelve-year-old Olivia Ter from Maryland was among the US figure skaters aboard the flight, local officials confirmed.Pilot Andre Eaves was on board the helicopter that collided with the passenger jet, his wife saysThe identities of two of the three people onboard the Black Hawk involved in the collision have been named, the identity of the third person is not yet known.Pilot Andrew Eaves from Mississippi has been named by his wife, Carrie, as one of the victims on the helicopter. She asks for “peace while we grieve.”Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says the state “is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves.” For context, a chief warrant officer provides leadership and training in their specialty.Ryan O’Hara, 29, was the crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter according to CBS News.He leaves behind a wife and one-year-old son, his Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) group says in a social media post confirming his death.We can now bring you the identities of some of the passengers on board the fatal plane crash.Kiah Duggins, a Howard University Professor, is among the victims of Wednesday’s crash, president of the university, Ben Vinson III, says. He says the news of her death comes with “profound sadness”.Sarah Lee Best, 33,and Elizabeth Keys, 33, both lawyers from the same firm, lost their lives in the fatal crash. Elizabeth’s partner David Siedman tells The Washington Post that she died on her birthday, while Sarah’s husband Daniel Solomon says she was “kind and hardworking”.Casey Crafton, “dedicated father” from Salem, Connecticut, was on board the passenger plane involved in the fatal crash, Governor Ned Lamont wrote on social media.Asra Hussain Raza, 26, had moved to the Washington DC area from Indiana after receiving a master’s degree in hospital management. Her husband says she was “returning from a work trip where she was helping to improve a hospital.”Michael Stovall was travelling home from an annual hunting trip with his friends, his mother Christina told Wink News. His cousin told the New York Times he was flying with at least six of his friends from the trip.Jesse Pitcher was amongst those travelling with Michael Stovall, his father Jameson Pitcher told the New York Times. Jesse got married last year and his father says “he was just getting started with life”.Earlier, we reported that Philippine National Police confirmed that Colonel Pergentino Malabed was on board the plane. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry also told AFP that two Chinese nationals were among the victims – they have not yet been named.The captain of the American Airlines flight involved in the fatal crash has been named as Jonathan Campos.Epic Flight Academy wrote in a post on Facebook that “he was a skilled and dedicated pilot with an undeniable passion for flying”.Sam Lilley has been named as the second pilot on the American Airlines flight, his father Timothy tells Fox 5 News Atlanta. “This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life,” he told the news channel, after realising his son was one of the pilots on the flight.Ian Epstein was a flight attendant on the plane, his family said, adding that he was known for his ability to make people smile and was “full of life”.”He loved being a flight attendant because he truly enjoyed traveling and meeting new people. But his true love was his family,” the statement continued.Danasia Elder was also working as a flight attendant onboard the flight, her family have told US media.Her brother-in-law Brandon Payne paid tribute to her, calling her “full of life”. “She was a great wife, a great parent, a great friend,” Payne added.Ian Epstein’s family say he was a flight attendant on board the American Airlines flightMatt SpiveyLive page editorIn our next few posts, we’re going to bring you the latest information we have about some of the crew and passengers who were on board both the American Airlines flight and the US army helicopter, which collided on Wednesday night. We know already that all 64 people on the passenger plane, and the three on the helicopter, have been killed as a result of the crash. Recovery efforts have been paused due to difficult conditions in the Potomac River, with 28 bodies so far recovered.The identities of some of those on board have either been confirmed through official channels – such as the Philippine National Police (PNP) saying one of its officers was travelling on the American Airlines flight – or are being heavily reported by US media.It’s those names that you’ll see on this page shortly. As always with a moving situation like this, details are emerging all the time which means it can be hard to keep track of. We’ll keep bringing you the latest updates, explainers and analysis right here, as soon as we get them. Stay with us. Was either plane off course? And did the helicopter’s pilot see the aircraft he would eventually collide with? Did an automated warning sound for both pilots in the moments before the incident – and would we expect civilian planes and military helicopters share the airspace above Washington DC?Here Ros Atkins explores the questions surrounding the crash.This video can not be playedRos Atkins on… the Washington DC plane crashIn a press conference yesterday, US President Donald Trump blamed diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration for the deadly crash that occurred over Washington DC, without providing evidence.Trump suggested that the hiring guidance for the FAA’s diversity and inclusion programme included preferences for those with disabilities involving “hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism”.According to the BBC’s US partner CBS News, the hiring programme has been a longstanding FAA policy – including before, during and after Trump’s first term.But, the FAA has a range of roles beyond air traffic controllers, and its website doesn’t indicate that hires from diversity schemes would necessarily be working in air traffic controller positions.And, in response to criticisms over diversity hiring practices last year, the agency released a statement asserting that all new hires must meet “rigorous qualifications” that “vary by position”.Trump, when asked by a reporter why he felt that diversity initiatives were to blame, the president replied: “Because I have common sense.”Copyright © 2025 BBC. 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