Ireland's Taoiseach and Tanaiste have offered their condolences following a fatal plane crash in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC last night, Wednesday, January 29.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said on Thursday that his thoughts and prayers are with the American people following the horrific crash.
My thoughts and prayers are with the American people following the horrific crash between a plane and military helicopter in Washington DC.
Deepest condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the crash. Also thinking of the first responders working at the scene.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) January 30, 2025
Tanaiste Simon Harris said his thoughts and prayers are with the first responders and the families of those affected.
All our thoughts this morning are with the first responders and families of those affected by the tragic air accident in Washington DC. https://t.co/TxOF8BGppz
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) January 30, 2025
On Thursday, the Irish Embassy in Washington, DC said that Irish citizens in need of consular assistance regarding the plane crash should contact the Embassy or Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Embassy is aware of an incident involving a passenger aircraft in Washington DC and is monitoring the situation. Citizens in need of consular assistance should contact the Embassy at +1 202 462 3939 or the Department of Foreign Affairs at +353 1 408 2000
— Embassy of Ireland, USA (@IrelandEmbUSA) January 30, 2025
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the US confirmed that on Wednesday, "A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 pm local time.
"PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas.
"The FAA and NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation."
Breaking news: A military helicopter and a regional aircraft from Kansas collided near Reagan National Airport, drawing a large emergency response near D.C. Roughly 60 people were aboard the aircraft, officials said.
Follow live updates: https://t.co/m9zViS12Ia pic.twitter.com/f6oBtLzkGU
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 30, 2025
In a statement on Wednesday night, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said that the aircraft was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines.
"It appears to have collided with a military aircraft on approach," Isom said.
"Flight 5342 was under the command of four crew members and carried 60 passengers for a total of 64 people on board."
Emergency response teams including Washington, DC Fire and EMS respond after an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided with an Army helicopter while approaching National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/CvvrhOpt3y
— Andrew Harnik (@andyharnik) January 30, 2025
Responding to the tragedy on Wednesday night, President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn.
"Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.
"This is a bad situation that looks like it could have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!!"
On Thursday morning, John Donnelly, Chief of the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department, said that at 8:48 pm on Wednesday, the control tower at Reagan Washington National Airport sounded the alert of an aircraft crash on or near the airport, prompting an immediate response from local authorities.
"Very quickly, this type of call escalated," Donnelly said. "Responders realized that they had a plane crash and immediately escalated to a response that ultimately included about 300 people last night.
"These responders found extremely frigid conditions, they found heavy wind, they found ice on the water, and they operated all night in those conditions."
After acknowledging all the authorities involved in the response, Donnelly said: "Despite all those efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.
"At this point, 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.
"The district office of the Medical Examiner has lead on reuniting these bodies and these people with their loved ones."
Also on Thursday morning, US Secretary for Transportation Sean Duffy, who was sworn in just hours before the tragedy, said Wednesday night was a "clear night" and that both aircraft involved were in a "standard pattern."
"We have located the two aircraft," Duffy said on Thursday. "The fuselage of the American Airlines plane was inverted; it's been located in three different sections. It's in about waist-deep water. That recovery is going to go on today.
"As that recovery takes place of the fuselage of the aircraft, NTSB is going to start to analyze that aircraft, partner with the FAA, with all of the information that we have to get the best results possible for the American people."
Duffy continued: "Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely, that when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn't happen last night."
Duffy went on to say that he "absolutely" thinks the plane crash was "preventable."
US Figure Skating has confirmed that among the passengers on the American Airlines flight were "athletes, coaches, and family members" who were "returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas."
Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and Executive Director of the Skating Club of Boston, said on Thursday that athletes, coaches, and family members of the Club that were on American Eagle Flight 5342 include athlete Jinna Han, Jinna's mom Jin Han, athlete Spencer Lane, Spencer's mom Christine Lane, coach Vadaim Naumov, and coach Evgenia Shishkova.
Wednesday's plane crash in Washington, DC is the deadliest aviation disaster in the US since November 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed in New York, killing all 260 people on board.
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