Dozens dead in D.C. plane crash as recovery efforts continue. Recap the day’s events

Playing null of undefined

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Helicopter went into plane's flight path before crash

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An American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. military helicopter near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.

The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members.

Officials don’t expect to find any survivors. If that’s the case, it would be the United States’ deadliest aviation disaster in 24 years.

Here’s what happened on Thursday:

7:30 p.m. EST: NTSB recovered data recorder, senator tells Reuters

The National Transportation Safety Board has recovered a data recorder from an American Airlines regional jet that collided on Wednesday with a U.S. Army helicopter near a Washington airport, killing 67 people, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell told Reuters.

The NTSB did not comment.

Reuters

6:15 p.m. EST: Conflicting reports on air traffic control staffing

An earlier report by the Federal Aviation Administration obtained by The Associated Press claimed that air traffic control staffing was “not normal” the night of the incident.

One air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash, the report said.

A person familiar with the matter speaking on the condition of anonymity later told The Associated Press that staffing on Wednesday night was at a normal level, contradicting the earlier report.

5:50 p.m. EST: Flight manifest expected by Friday: Kansas governor

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said the NTSB is waiting for the families of the victims to be notified before releasing details of their identities, she said in a news conference.

Kelly said the manifest, a document listing all the passengers and crew aboard a flight, is expected “sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

5:35 p.m. EST: Air traffic control staffing was normal, AP source says

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration obtained by The Associated Press.

The configuration was “not normal,” the report said, but a person familiar with the matter said the staffing at the air traffic control tower on Wednesday night was at a normal level. The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, are in the process of a shift change, or air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

The Associated Press

4:50 p.m. EST: ‘Tower, did you see that?’

Air traffic control audio captured the final seconds before an American Airlines flight and U.S. military helicopter collided near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night.

“Tower, did you see that?” a voice says over the radio before air traffic controllers begin hurriedly redirecting flights.

Read the full story here

4:25 p.m. EST: Trump signs an aviation order rolling back federal diversity initiatives

He says the presidential memorandum on aviation safety will undo “damage” done to related federal agencies by the Biden administration.

The president singled out policies from the Biden White House and other Democratic administrations meant to promote diversity and inclusion, saying, “What they’ve done is disgraceful.”

Signing the memorandum in the Oval Office, Trump repeated — without evidence — his past assertions that federal diversity programs contributed to a helicopter and a regional jet colliding near Washington, D.C.

He said the memorandum can help ensure that “we have very strong people running” key aviation agencies.

3:45 p.m. EST: Canada to send investigators

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board will send two investigators to support the U.S. in its investigation in the fatal plane crash, Transport Minister Anita Anand told CTV News’ Vassy Kapelos in an interview.

“The plane that was impacted in the incident is a Canadian-made plane, and therefore, the Canadian authorities are going to be participating in the investigation,” Anand said.

3:40 p.m. EST: Staffing was ‘not normal’ in the air traffic control tower at Washington’s Reagan National Airport

That’s according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The report says one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report says.

The Associated Press

3:11 p.m. EST: A multi-faceted investigation

NTSB member Todd Inman is laying out the structure of the investigation. He says the agency has set up a number of groups to examine the structural impacts on the aircraft and to reconstruct the incident. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is collaborating with the investigation.

“We do not know enough facts,” said Inman, who faced multiple questions on speculation from more senior members of the U.S. administration – including the president – made through the day.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy faced a question on whether the crash had anything to do with the Federal Aviation Administration diversity and inclusion hiring initiative, as Trump floated earlier today, despite a lack of evidence to suggest it played a factor.

“As part of any investigation, we look at the human, the machine, and the environment,” Homendy said.

3 p.m. EST: NTSB board member Todd Inman says a preliminary report will be released within 30 days

“Our mission is to understand not just what happened but why it happened, and to recommend changes to prevent it from happening again,” Inman said.

The Associated Press

2:55 p.m. EST: NTSB giving update on investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is holding a news conference on the status of its investigation into the fatal crash.

2:46 p.m. EST: More bodies recovered from crash site, law enforcement source tells CNN

More bodies have been recovered over the past hour from the wreckage, a law enforcement source told CNN.

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed earlier today that there are no survivors.

1:50 p.m. EST: The bodies of all three soldiers who were on the helicopter have been recovered, officials say: AP

Officials said the remains will be at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. That office coordinates the dignified transfer of fallen service members.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced. No identities of the crew have been released.

The Associated Press

1:40 p.m. EST: Russian skaters were ‘tough, but with a smile’

Among the victims of the crash were world-class Russian figure skaters who had built a life in the U.S. as coaches.

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov won a world championship title together in pairs skating in 1994 and narrowly missed out on Olympic medals that year at the Lillehammer Games before moving to the U.S. and coaching generations of young skaters in New England.

Gathered at their skating club in Boston, members of the local figure-skating community mourned them.

Decorated and former U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan described the couple as “tough, but with a smile on their face.”

1:27 p.m. EST: Who is Sean Duffy?

Sean Duffy, the new transportation secretary, is facing his first major crisis just hours after his swearing-in.

Duffy, who was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, quickly emerged as a public face of the federal government’s response to the deadly plane crash at Reagan National Airport, the closest airport to Washington, D.C. An Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members Wednesday night while the plane was landing, sending it careening into the frigid Potomac River. All onboard are feared dead in what’s shaping up to be the deadliest U.S. air crash in decades.

“Our new Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy — his second day on the job when that happened. That’s a rough one,” Trump said as they appeared together during a White House briefing Thursday.

The Associated Press

1:20 p.m. EST: Pope Francis sent a personal telegram of condolences to Trump expressing his ‘deepest sympathies’

Usually, papal telegrams of condolence are signed by the Vatican secretary of state. But Thursday’s note was signed by the pope himself and said Francis expressed his spiritual closeness to all those affected.

“I offer my deepest sympathies to the families who are now mourning the loss of a loved one. I likewise pray for those involved in the recovery efforts,” read the telegram.

The Associated Press

1:00 p.m. EST: U.S. transportation board to hold press briefing

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is set to hold a media briefing at 2:45 p.m. ET on its investigation into the D.C. plane crash.

The NTSB, tasked with investigating civil transportation incidents, launched a “go-team” to inspect yesterday’s accident, the agency announced.

12:42 p.m. EST: Maryland senator says Trump should apologize for his remarks

“It was just grotesque the way he immediately politicized this terrible tragedy,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who’s a Democrat.

Van Hollen noted the way Trump started “pointing fingers” without knowing the facts of the situation. “He owes the American people an apology,” he said.

The Associated Press

12:20 p.m. EST: Expert says details are still slim on cause, but hardware issues are unlikely

Aviation specialist Scott Hamilton told CTV News Channel that it’s possible Bombardier could be asked to aid the investigation, though at this point, “this doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the plane, per se."

The Bombardier passenger plane, a CRJ701ER airliner, has a carrying capacity of up to 70 passengers and five crewmembers. The helicopter was a Black Hawk UH-60L. It can fit four crew members and 11 passengers, with a maximum cruise speed of 338 kilometres per hour.

“They’ll look at the history of the pilots … They’ll obviously look for the black box,” he continued, pointing out that the D.C. airspace is uniquely complex.

“There’s so much protected airspace,” said Hamilton, adding that there are only a few corridors that allow aircraft to carry out their routes.

11:58 a.m. EST: Trump admits no evidence that collision could be blamed on diversity hires

“It just could have been,” the president said, when pressed by a reporter.

Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for not having adequate safety standards.

He was later pressed on how he is able to make these claims and he said, “I have common sense.”

The Associated Press

11:51 a.m. EST: Trump lashed out at Biden’s transportation secretary, despite not knowing crash’s cause

Trump then harshly criticized former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “That guy’s a real winner,” Trump said in a sarcastic tone, before adding, “He’s a disaster.”

Trump blamed federal diversity and inclusion promotion efforts he said were championed under Buttigieg for standards slipping. He used profanity to describe such efforts.

The Associated Press

11:45 a.m. EST: The president suggested that the FAA’s diversity efforts had made air travel less safe

The president asserted his opinion at the White House press briefing even though the crash has yet to be fully investigated and there has been no determination as to whether the FAA did anything wrong.

“The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website,” said Trump, noting that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”

Trump said air traffic controllers needed to be geniuses.

“They have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,” he said. “You can’t have regular people doing their job.”

The Associated Press

11:38 a.m. EST: Hegseth says ‘a mistake was made’

Pete Hegseth, the newly-appointed defence secretary:

“Tragically last night, a mistake was made,” he said, calling it “some sort of elevation issue.”

“No excuses, we’re going to get to the bottom of this,” he told reporters.

11:35 a.m. EST: Trump appointing acting commissioner to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration

The president said he was naming Chris Rocheleau, a 22-year FAA veteran, to the post.

A fulltime commissioner will require Senate confirmation.

11:25 a.m. EST: Trump says there are no survivors

“As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly,” Trump said. He also noting that other nations are also grieving for foreign nationals from those countries who were also on the plane.

11:21 a.m. EST: Trump asks for moment of silence

Trump has arrived at the podium. He asked for a moment of silence for the victims of the crash.

11:05 a.m.: Trump says crash could have been prevented

Last night, U.S. President Donald Trump said it looked to him like the crash could have been prevented.

In a Truth Social post, the president said the airplane was “on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport,” and that “the helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time.”

“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” he wrote.

10:55 a.m. EST: Trump to speak

U.S. President Donald Trump will speak to reporters soon following the deadly crash.

Journalists are filing into the White House press briefing room, which is located less than 10 kilometres from the crash site.

10:38 a.m. EST: U.S. senator says victims' families are still being notified

At a confirmation hearing for one of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said he spent most of Wednesday night at the Reagan National Airport as first responders were searching for survivors.

He warned that families are still being notified about the status of their loved ones and that should be the focus right now.

The Associated Press

10:27 a.m. EST: Global Affairs not aware of any Canadian passengers

“At this time, Global Affairs Canada is not aware of any Canadians onboard flight AA 5342 which departed from Wichita, Kansas,” reads a GAC statement to CTVNews.ca. “Officials are in touch with local authorities and continue to gather more information.”

“Global Affairs Canada extends deepest sympathies to all those affected by the plane and helicopter crash in Washington D.C.”

9:59 a.m. EST: History of near-misses

Military helicopters and passenger airplanes are a common sight along the Potomac River in the Washington region, where the collision happened. The area is home to numerous military bases and three major airports.

There have been several near-miss incidents at Reagan National Airport that have sparked alarm, including a near-collision in May 2024 between an American Airlines jet and a small airplane and one in April 2024 between Southwest and JetBlue airplanes.

The close calls coincide with a shortage of air traffic controllers that has delayed flights and raised safety concerns across the United States. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in October opened an audit into runway incursion risks at the 45 busiest U.S. airports after a series of near-miss incidents.

Reagan National is particularly busy. Over a three-year period ending in 2019, there were 88,000 helicopter flights within 30 miles (48 kilometres) of Reagan National Airport, including about 33,000 military and 18,000 law enforcement flights, the Government Accountability Office said in a 2021 report.

Reuters

9:50 a.m. EST: Global Affairs minister responds

Canada’s Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly published a statement on X following the crash:

“Heartbreaking news coming out of Washington D.C. following the devastating plane crash. My thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims and the American people at this very difficult time,” she wrote.

CTVNews.ca has reached out to Global Affairs Canada to confirm whether any Canadians were on board the plane.

9:10 a.m. EST: U.S. Aviation Administration is investigating the crash

The agency is part of an investigation led by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it will quickly do anything that’s necessary, based on the evidence the probe turns up.

The Associated Press

9 a.m. EST: Skate Canada responds

“Skate Canada is deeply saddened by reports of a tragic American Airlines place crash involving members of the figure skating community,” reads a statement from the organization published on X, Thursday morning.

CTVNews.ca has reached out to Skate Canada to confirm whether there were any Canadian skaters aboard the plane.

8:30 a.m. EST: U.S., Russian skaters among victims

There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.

The Associated Press

8:26 a.m. EST: The search for loved ones after the crash

American Airlines has set up centres in Washington and in Wichita, Kansas, for people seeking information about family members.

There’s also a hotline for people looking for family and friends: 1-800 679 8215.

The D.C. fire chief said he’s confident remains of those killed in the crash will be recovered, but it may take some time.

The Associated Press

8:20 a.m. EST: Trudeau offers condolences

Hours after the crash on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X to express his condolences.

“We’re all extremely concerned about the accident at Reagan National Airport. As we wait for more details, my thoughts are with those on board, their loved ones, and the first responders right now,” he wrote.

CTVNews.ca has reached out to Global Affairs Canada to confirm whether any Canadians were aboard the plane at the time of the crash.