An American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night while coming in for a landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington. The Black Hawk helicopter was carrying a crew of three. Officials said early Thursday that everyone on board both aircraft is believed dead, which would make it the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly a quarter century.
At least 29 bodies had been recovered by 8 a.m., officials said, and the rescue effort had switched to a recovery mission.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly told reporters Thursday morning.
The collision Wednesday of the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine plane and UH-60 Black Hawk occurred over the Potomac River and the two aircraft fell into the icy water.
In 1982, an Air Florida flight crashed into the Potomac and killed 78.
When was the last deadly crash involving a U.S. passenger jet?
The deadliest recent crash was on Feb. 12, 2009 when a Colgan Air plane crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane, including 45 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50.
The flight recorder revealed that just after the control tower lost contact with the plane, the crew talked of significant ice buildup on the windshield and the leading edge of the wing, despite the de-ice switch being on. Federal investigators determined that the pilot’s response caused the plane to crash because of inflight errors.
Here are some of the other deadliest commercial plane crashes in the U.S. since the Air Florida disaster, according to reports from the National Transportation Safety Board:
Aug. 27, 2006
A Comair aircraft crashed when taking off in Lexington, Kentucky, after it left from the wrong runway and ran off the end. Two crew members and 47 passengers were killed.
Nov. 12, 2001
Just after takeoff, an American Airlines flight en route to the Dominican Republic crashed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, in Queens, New York. All 260 people aboard the plane were killed.
Sept. 11, 2001
Nearly 3,000 people were killed as 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four jetliners, sending two of the planes into New York’s World Trade Center, a third into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania. It remains the deadliest terror attack in history.
Jan. 31, 2000
An Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island, California. The crash killed 83 passengers and five crew members.
July 17, 1996
A Trans World Airlines flight crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on its way to Paris, France. All 230 people on board were killed, and the airplane was destroyed.
May 11, 1996
A Valujet Airlines flight crashed into the Everglades about 10 minutes after takeoff from the Miami International Airport. The crash killed all 105 passengers and five crew members.
Oct. 31, 1994
An American Eagle flight in Roselawn, Indiana, crashed, killing 64 passengers and four crew members.
Sept. 8, 1994
A USAir flight crashed while attempting to land in Pittsburgh. It killed 127 passengers and five crew members. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and fire.
July 19, 1989
A United Airlines flight experienced an engine failure and crashed while attempting to land in Sioux City, Iowa, killing 110 passengers and one crew member.
Aug. 16, 1987
A Northwest Airlines flight crashed just after taking off in Romulus, Michigan, striking light poles, a rental car facility and the ground. The crash killed 148 passengers and six crew members.
Aug. 2, 1985
A Delta Air Lines flight crashed when approaching to land at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport during a thunderstorm. It struck a car and two water tanks, and killed 134 passengers and crew members.
July 9, 1982
A Pan American World Airways flight crashed just after takeoff near New Orleans, Louisiana, and collided with trees and houses, killing 145 people onboard.
Jan. 13, 1982
An Air Florida flight plummeted into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing 70 passengers and four crew members. That crash was attributed to bad weather.
