Trump Criticizes Diversity Hiring Amidst DC Plane Crash Investigation
US and Russian Figure Skaters Among Passengers on Crashed Jet
A tragic mid-air collision came about on Wednesday at the equal time as a passenger jet sporting sixty 4 human beings crashed into Washington’s Potomac River after colliding with a navy helicopter. According to US media reviews, multiple bodies have been recovered from the near-freezing waters, as emergency corporations maintain their large searching for and rescue operation.
Massive Rescue Operation Underway
Emergency response agencies, comprising round 3 hundred employees, are struggling with immoderate situations in a desperate try to discover survivors. Divers, illuminated via effective lights, are scouring the wreckage within the snow-coated river.
Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly defined the situations as “fantastically hard” and provided little preference of finding survivors. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser assured journalists, “We’re going to be to be had as prolonged as it takes.”
CBS News said that as a minimum 18 our our bodies were recovered, while NBC predicted the remember variety at more than a dozen.
Notable Passengers and Official Statements
US Figure Skating showed that numerous athletes, coaches, and officials were some of the passengers at the flight. Russian government moreover established that famend discern skating pair Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the 1994 international pairs champions, were aboard.
“We sadly see that the ones unhappy reviews are being showed. Our different fellow residents have been there,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Collision Details
The Bombardier aircraft, operated thru an American Airlines subsidiary, became nearing Reagan National Airport spherical 9:00 PM (0200 GMT) after departing from Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft collided mid-air with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter sporting 3 soldiers on a “schooling flight.”
Eyewitness Ari Schulman stated the frightening 2d: I noticed what appeared like a motion of sparks overhead. Initially, the aircraft appeared top notch, normal. Then all at once, it changed into banked all of the manner to the proper, glowing vibrant yellow with a circulate of sparks under—it regarded like a Roman candle.
Trump’s Response and Air Traffic Control Criticism
Former President Donald Trump stated the tragedy, declaring, “May God bless their souls.” However, virtually hours after the incident, he took to social media to criticize air web page visitors control.
The aircraft modified into on an first-rate and habitual line of method to the airport. The helicopter come to be going directly on the plane for an prolonged time body. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lighting fixtures on the aircraft have been blazing. Why didn’t the helicopter bypass up or down, or flip? Why didn’t the manage tower interfere? This is a horrible scenario that looks as if it ought to had been averted. NOT GOOD!!!” he posted on Truth Social.
FAA Response and Airport Closure
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered the grounding of all flights at Reagan National Airport, it actually is predicted to stay closed till 11:00 AM (1600 GMT) Thursday.
In a video statement, American Airlines’ CEO expressed “deep sorrow” over the incident. US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas described the collision as now not anything brief of a nightmare.
Airspace Congestion and Safety Concerns
The airspace spherical Washington DC is notoriously crowded, with not unusual navy and civilian helicopter interest along business air web site traffic. This coincidence increases questions about how a passenger jet organized with current collision-avoidance technology need to crash proper into a army plane over the shape of closely monitored region.
This tragedy is harking back to the 1982 Air Florida Flight ninety crash, whilst a Boeing 737 plunged into the Potomac River after failing to de-ice nicely, killing seventy eight human beings. The closing fundamental lethal US air twist of destiny happened in 2009 at the same time as Continental Flight 3407 crashed en path to Buffalo, New York, ensuing in forty nine deaths.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities are surely investigating the reason of the mid-air collision, specializing in air visitors control communications, pilot options, and ability mechanical screw ups. The nation mourns this devastating loss as officials artwork to decide what went wrong and prevent destiny tragedies.
