ALBAWABA- President Donald Trump announced Thursday that there were no survivors from the devastating midair collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet over the Potomac River.
"Sadly, there are no survivors," Trump said in a solemn address from the White House briefing room, calling it an "hour of anguish" for the nation.
He led a moment of silence in memory of the victims and described Wednesday night as “a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history.”
Emergency officials confirmed that the mission has now shifted from search and rescue to recovery, with 28 bodies found so far. Authorities remain confident they will recover all victims from the wreckage.
The collision involved an American Eagle passenger plane carrying 64 people and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers on board. The aircraft crashed into the Potomac River while the jet was approaching Reagan National Airport.
Search continue for survivors after American Airlines plane crash with Black Hawk helicopterThe FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will brief Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, later Thursday.
Cantwell emphasized that a thorough NTSB investigation is essential to determine the cause of the tragedy. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reaffirmed that "safety is paramount" as authorities work to understand what led to the disaster.
