
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters about Wednesday’s lethal midair collision between a U.S. Military Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle flight 5342 close to Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport, within the Brady Press Briefing Room on the White Home in Washington, D.C., Jan. 30. Reuters-Yonhap
U.S. President Donald Trump stated Thursday that there have been no survivors from a nighttime midair collision between a passenger plane and an Military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington the day prior to this, as authorities have shifted to a restoration operation from a rescue operation.
A PSA Airways regional jet carrying 64 folks collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter carrying three folks on Wednesday, whereas approaching a runway at Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport close to the U.S. capital, in response to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and different sources. PSA is an American Airways subsidiary.
„The work has now shifted to a restoration mission. Sadly, there are not any survivors,“ Trump advised a press convention. „This was a darkish and excruciating night time in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s historical past, and a tragedy of horrible proportions.“
Trump expressed his condolences over the lack of „each valuable soul that has been taken from us so instantly,“ whereas noting there have been „very proficient“ Russian folks — in an obvious reference to Russian determine skaters reported to have been aboard the business jet.
„On behalf of the primary girl, myself and 340 million People, our hearts are shattered alongside yours and our prayers are with you now and within the days to return,“ the president stated.
„We shall be working very diligently within the days to return. We’re right here so that you can wipe away the tears and to give you our devotion, our love and our assist.“

Emergency staff get well particles from the Potomac River within the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter, as seen from Virginia, U.S., Jan. 30. Reuters-Yonhap
The White Home doesn’t know but what led to the crash, nevertheless it has „some very robust opinions and concepts,“ the president stated.
„We predict we now have some fairly good concepts, however we’ll learn how this catastrophe occurred, and we’ll be sure that nothing like this ever occurs once more,“ Trump stated, noting that the FAA, the Nationwide Transport Security Board and the U.S. navy shall be finishing up a „systematic“ and „complete“ investigation into the tragedy.
Earlier within the day, District of Columbia Fireplace and Emergency Medical Companies Chief John Donnelly additionally stated that the authorities don’t consider there have been any survivors from the crash. As of Thursday morning, the authorities recovered 27 our bodies from the aircraft and one from the helicopter, Donnelly stated.
„The district workplace of the health worker has the lead on reuniting these our bodies and these folks with their family members, and we’ll proceed to work to search out all of the our bodies and gather them and reunite them with their family members,“ Donnelly stated.
The official famous that some 300 responders have been concerned in a frantic search-and-rescue operation in „extraordinarily frigid circumstances.“
„They discovered heavy wind. They discovered ice on the water and so they operated all night time in these circumstances,“ he stated.

Search and rescue efforts are seen round a wreckage website within the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport, Jan. 30, in Arlington, Va. AP-Yonhap
Among the many passengers on the ill-fated aircraft have been determine skaters coming back from the U.S. Determine Skating Championships and two of their Russian coaches, in response to the Related Press (AP).
„We’re devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and maintain the victims‘ households intently in our hearts,“ U.S. Determine Skating was quoted by AP as saying in an announcement.
In a social media submit within the morning, Trump stated that the crash „appears to be like prefer it ought to have been prevented.“
„The airplane was on an ideal and routine line of method to the airport. The helicopter was going straight on the airplane for an prolonged time frame. It’s a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the aircraft have been blazing, why did not the helicopter go up or down, or flip,“ Trump wrote on Reality Social.
„Why did not the management tower inform the helicopter what to do as a substitute of asking in the event that they noticed the aircraft.“ (Yonhap)

The wreckage of an Military helicopter lies in shallow water after it collided with an American Airways jet and each aircrafts crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., Jan. 30. UPI-Yonhap