A man has shared the emotional moment he received a text from his wife moments before the American Airlines flight she was on collided with a US military helicopter over Washington, DC.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night, January 29, when a Bombardier CRJ700 operating as American Airlines Flight 5432 collided mid-air with a Black Hawk helicopter. The crash took place around 9:00 p.m. local time as the passenger plane was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The plane, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, then crashed into the Potomac River. NBC 4 Washington reported that the jet “split in half” and is now submerged seven feet underwater.
The Helicopter Involved
The passenger plane collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three US soldiers, the Pentagon confirmed. Rescue operations are still ongoing, with emergency responders searching the waters for any survivors.
So far, 18 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River, according to BBC reports.