A US airplane carrying 60 passengers crashed into the Potomac River after colliding with a military helicopter. The incident occurred on Tuesday at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., prompting an extensive search-and-rescue operation.
According to witnesses, including pilots in nearby aircraft, the American Airlines plane was seen exploding in a fireball before disappearing from view. Another pilot reported seeing a massive fireball and hearing the sound of explosions on the radio.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the crash occurred around 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching an airport runway. The incident resulted in significant damage to both aircraft.
President Donald Trump received a briefing on the incident, while Vice President JD Vance urged supporters on social media to offer prayers for those affected. American Airlines later released a statement saying it was aware of reports involving one of its flights and would provide more information as soon as possible.
The airport confirmed that emergency personnel responded to an “aircraft incident” at the airfield. The incident bears similarities to another tragic aviation accident in 1982, when an Air Florida flight crashed into the Potomac River, killing 78 people.
Source: https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/pilots-haunting-5-words-after-34579639