Officials believe there are no survivors in Washington plane and helicopter crash

A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
-Credit:Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)


Officials don't believe there are any survivors following a plane and helicopter crash in Washington, DC. At a press conference hosted by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Fire and EMS chief John Donnelly confirmed the investigation has moved from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.

It comes after a crash between a Blackhawk military helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane at around 9pm local time on Wednesday, January 29. Mr Donnelly said: "We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter."

He added that work is under way to reunite the victims' bodies with their loved ones. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the incident was "devastating".

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He told the crowd gathered at the airport: "Our focus right now is to do everything we can to support everyone involved." Families and friends looking for information about their loved ones can call the helpline 1-800-679-8125 they set up.

Mr Isom added the American Airlines flight descended "in normal approach" to Reagan National Airport and he explained at this moment in time officials did not know why it collided with the helicopter.

He again confirmed there were 64 people travelling on board the flight - four crew members and 60 passengers. A webcam video from the Kennedy Center shows the mid-air crash. In the video, it shows two sets of lights, consistent with two aircraft, merging into a massive fireball in the sky before both plummet to the ground - or, in the case of the plane, into the Potomac.