‘She texted me…’: Washington man whose spouse was aboard jet that crashed
Hamaad Raza was ready at Washington DC’s Reagan Nationwide Airport airport for his spouse when he noticed a flurry of exercise and rescue groups dashing in direction of the Potomac river. The American Airways passenger jet, that his spouse was on, collided with a navy chopper because it was touchdown.
“My spouse texted me that she was touchdown in 20 minutes,” Raza advised CBS Information. “I’m simply praying somebody is pulling her out of the river proper now.”
Monitor stay updates right here: Washington DC aircraft crash updates: Not less than 18 our bodies pulled from river after jet-chopper collision, extra deaths feared
Raza’s fears echoed the sense of urgency felt by rescue groups who instantly launched a number of boats into the Potomac. First responders illuminated the realm with mild towers from the shore, and regulation enforcement helicopters hovered above the crash web site as a seek for survivors continued. Eighteen our bodies have already been pulled out, and extra casualties are feared.
Washington horror: What occurred?
The collision occurred in one of the vital closely monitored airspaces on the earth, simply three miles south of the White Home and the US Capitol. Flight monitoring knowledge indicated the regional jet, a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701, was descending towards Reagan Nationwide at an altitude of roughly 400 toes when it quickly misplaced altitude over the Potomac River. Air site visitors controllers had cleared the aircraft to land on a shorter runway, Runway 33, moments earlier than the collision.
Additionally Learn: ‘Tower, did you see that?’: Audio from management tower seconds after horrific aircraft crash in Washington
In accordance with the FAA, simply 30 seconds earlier than influence, the air site visitors controller made a remaining radio name to the helicopter, asking if it had the business jet in sight. A subsequent name instructed the helicopter to go behind the jet, however seconds later, the 2 plane collided in midair.
A close-by commentary digital camera on the Kennedy Heart captured footage of what gave the impression to be two units of lights merging right into a fireball, marking the second of the crash. The aircraft’s radio transponder ceased transmitting about 2,400 toes wanting the runway, immediately above the river.
Within the wake of the crash, President Donald Trump expressed his condolences, saying he had been “absolutely briefed on this horrible accident” and supplied his ideas and prayers for the victims. “Might God Bless their souls,” Trump added in his assertion.
Reagan Airport shuts operations
Reagan Nationwide airport, which is situated on the banks of the Potomac, was closed instantly after the collision, with operations anticipated to renew by 5 am on Friday. The airport is a well-liked gateway for vacationers to Washington, D.C., offering beautiful views of iconic landmarks such because the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the US Capitol.
The crash has delivered to thoughts the tragic Air Florida catastrophe of 1982, when an airliner plunged into the Potomac, claiming 78 lives. This newest crash marks the primary deadly accident involving a US business airliner since 2009, when an analogous tragedy occurred close to Buffalo, New York, killing 50 individuals.
