Emergency crews continue to recover bodies from the Potomac River after an American Airlines passenger jet carrying 64 people collided with a Black Hawk helicopter, plunging into the frigid waters.
Washington D.C.'s fire chief John Donnelly said 28 bodies were recovered from Wednesday night's accident.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed a recovery team found both aircraft and the fuselage of the American Airlines plane was found "inverted" and "located three different sections about waist-deep water."
American Airlines Flight 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas and collided with the military aircraft as it approached Runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
While the identities of the passengers have not been released, some of the passengers included American and Russian figure skaters and coaches.
The Black Hawk helicopter, which carried three Army personnel, was conducting "an annual proficiency training flight," said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a video published on X.
Donnelly said there were no survivors and the rescue operation had been switched to a "recovery operation" on Thursday morning.
The rescue effort began last night, shortly after 9 pm. Hundreds of first responders were sent to the Potomac River.
Emergency response units gathered near Capital Cove Marine at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling to search for survivors but stopped hours later.
The fatal mid-air crash is the first major challenge for Duffy, who was recently confirmed by the Senate.
At a press conference in Washington, D.C., Duffy said airplane crashes are not "standard."
Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board said a key safety known as the TCAS may not have been in use.
President Donald Trump said a prayer for condolences to the victims: "God bless their souls" in an official statement from the White House.
Trump thanked the first responders for the swift response.
"Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders," he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation that will determine the cause of the collision.
American Airlines CEO expressed his "deep sorrow" to the victims and their families.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reopened to the public at 11 a.m. Thursday after hundreds of flights were canceled in the aftermath of the crash.
