67 people involved in the aircraft crash in Washington D.C. on Wednesday night are presumed dead, authorities said on Thursday morning.
"We are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. We don't believe there are any survivors," said Washington DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly. So far 27 people have been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter.
Among them are U.S. figure skaters, their families and coaches, as well as two former world champion Russian skaters who were aboard the American Airlines plane. U.S. Figure Skating said it "can confirm" that members of its "community" were aboard the flight.
"These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas," the organization said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the "sad information" that the Russian skaters were passengers on the flight, according to Tass. The state-operated news site identified the skaters as Yevgenia Shiskova and Vadim Naumov.
While the identities of other victims have not surfaced yet, the husband of a commercial plane passenger told local news he had texted him shortly before the crash. "I'm just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now," said Hamaad Raza. In her last text she told him the plane was set to land in 20 minutes.
A man waiting for his wife at Reagan National Airport, who was on board the commercial plane that crashed, tells local news that she texted him shortly before the crash
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) January 30, 2025
“I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now.” 💔pic.twitter.com/qPV6eOZOjW
A recovery center has been set up to receive further remains from the Potomac River at the D.C. Fire Helipad at South Capitol Street SW. There is also a center in Wichita, Kansas, for people seeking information about family members, as well as a hotline.
The last major crash took place in 2009 when a Continental Airlines flight, operated by Colgan Air, crashed while approaching Buffalo, New York, killing 49 people.
Investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now working to determine what led to Wednesday's collision over the Potomac.
CBS News reported that the American Eagle jet was only "a few hundred feet off the ground" when it collided with the Army helicopter. The jet was in the final moments of its approach, and depending on the point of impact, "the pilots may never have seen the helicopter coming."
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