'No Survivors' Anticipated Following US Plane Crash
The rescue mission conducted by emergency crews at the air crash site in Washington has transitioned into a recovery operation. Officials are providing assurances to families regarding the status of the remains. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
As of now, 28 bodies have been retrieved from the icy waters of the Potomac River following the tragic collision of an American Airlines jet with 64 passengers on board and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter that had three individuals aboard, near Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. This information was shared by Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly.
Donnelly confirmed that the emergency teams have transitioned from a rescue mission to one focused on recovery, with ongoing efforts to return the victims’ remains to their families.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” he stated during a press briefing.
According to Donnelly, first responders have faced “extremely frigid conditions," contending with heavy winds and ice on the water as they worked throughout the night.
Families of the victims have been reassured that all bodies from Wednesday night’s incident will be located. Currently, the death toll is believed to be 67, with 64 fatalities from the plane and three from the helicopter.
“I’m confident we will do that, but it will take time and may require additional equipment,” Donnelly remarked, explaining that the National Transportation Safety Board will oversee the next phase of the operation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was recently sworn in, addressed the media on Thursday, stating that the crash was “absolutely preventable.”
“We are going to wait for all the information to come in from this vantage point, but … what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” Duffy indicated.
He clarified that while the Black Hawk was conducting a training mission, this does not suggest that the pilot lacked experience.
This tragic incident marks the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since November 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed in New York, resulting in the loss of all 260 passengers on board.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Donnelly confirmed that the emergency teams have transitioned from a rescue mission to one focused on recovery, with ongoing efforts to return the victims’ remains to their families.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” he stated during a press briefing.
According to Donnelly, first responders have faced “extremely frigid conditions," contending with heavy winds and ice on the water as they worked throughout the night.
Families of the victims have been reassured that all bodies from Wednesday night’s incident will be located. Currently, the death toll is believed to be 67, with 64 fatalities from the plane and three from the helicopter.
“I’m confident we will do that, but it will take time and may require additional equipment,” Donnelly remarked, explaining that the National Transportation Safety Board will oversee the next phase of the operation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was recently sworn in, addressed the media on Thursday, stating that the crash was “absolutely preventable.”
“We are going to wait for all the information to come in from this vantage point, but … what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” Duffy indicated.
He clarified that while the Black Hawk was conducting a training mission, this does not suggest that the pilot lacked experience.
This tragic incident marks the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since November 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed in New York, resulting in the loss of all 260 passengers on board.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
