Video: Moment American Airlines jet collided with Army chopper midair in US
A video of a American Airlines regional passenger jet flight colliding midair with a helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has surfaced.
The clip shows the lights of a PSA Airlines jet approaching to land at the airport. However, the plane is struck by a helicopter, which is not visible in the dark, the visuals show. Both the planes then plummet following the collision.
According to the FAA, the PSA was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines, which had departed from Wichita in Kansas. Airline sources said 60 passengers were scheduled to be on the jet.
According to American Airlines’s website, the jet can carry up to 65 passengers.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said “we know there are fatalities”, though he did not say how many. A US Army official confirmed that one of its helicopters was involved in the crash.
Multiple agencies were involved in a search and rescue operation in the Potomac River, which borders the airport, police said. All takeoffs and landings were stopped as emergency personnel responded to the incident.
In a statement, American Airlines said it was “aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident”. The company said it would provide more information as soon as more information about the crash was available.
(with inputs from Reuters)
