GUWAHATI: President Donald Trump confirmed that all 67 people aboard the two aircraft involved in Wednesday night’s fatal collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport had perished, during a White House press briefing on Thursday, January 30.
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Among the victims were 64 people aboard the American Airlines regional jet and three soldiers on the military helicopter.
Trump opened his remarks with a moment of silence, calling the incident a “dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history.” In response to the tragedy, he also appointed Christopher Rocheleau, a 22-year veteran of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as the agency’s acting commissioner. “We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump stated.
The crash reportedly occurred around 9 p.m. ET as a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, was on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan National. The jet collided midair with a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter, according to reports. The impact sent the passenger plane into the Potomac River, while debris from the helicopter scattered across the area.
Following the accident, the airport was closed late Wednesday night but has since reopened. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the collision.
