‘No survivors’ expected at crash site, with 27 bodies recovered from plane and 1 from helicopter
DC fire and EMS chief John A Donnelly speaks next. He said the crash alert was sounded at 8.48pm last night.
First responders found, he said, “extremely frigid conditions. They found heavy wind. They found ice on the water, and they’ve operated all night in those conditions.”
He is thanking a lengthy list of various agencies and departments who came to assist the operation.
He says: “we don’t believe there are any survivors” and that 27 bodies have been recovered from the plane, and one from the helicopter.
Key events
Sean Duffy, transportation secretary, has said he doesn’t want to be drawn into speculation about causes of the crash, stressing that military helicopters use those flight paths every single day.
“Something went wrong here,” he says, adding “I look forward to the time and point where we can give you that information, but I don’t want to comment on that right now.”
DC fire and EMS chief John A Donnelly says he is confident they will ultimately be able to recover all of the bodies from the crash.
He adds “I’m confident that we will do that. It will take us a little bit of time. It may involve some more equipment.”
Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, has been asked if he can reassure travellers. He replies:
Can I guarantee the American flying public that the US has the most safe and secure airspace in the world? And the answer to that is absolutely yes, we do. We have early indicators of what happened here, and I will tell you with complete confidence, we have the safest airspace in the world.
It was noted earlier that this was the first commercial aircraft crash causing fatalities in the US since 2009.
DC fire and EMS chief John A Donnelly has been asked what the challenges are with the operation at the moment. He said:
The recovery operation goes on. It’s a lot of touch and feel in the different parts of the plane and the helicopter, and the crash area is a little spread out. So we’ve got some work to do.
He says, with the wind, the debris field has spread down to the Wilson Bridge.
Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser states that the National Transportation Safety Board will become the lead agency in the investigation, and she expects it will give a further briefing later today.
They are now taking questions from the media.
Metropolitan Washington airports authority CEO Jack Carter speaks next. He says Reagan national airport will reopen at 11am (4pm GMT).
He offers “thanks to the many, many who are still out there working very, very hard to complete this recovery”.
He says: “a lot of effort was brought to bear but unfortunately we weren’t able to rescue anyone.”
Amercian Airlines CEO Robert Eisen says: “At this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft.”
He urges friends and family of those affected to call 1-800-679-8215, which is the helpline the airline has set up.
He says: “I know that there are many questions at this early stage, I just won’t be able to answer many, but we’ll provide additional information as it comes.”
Robert Eisen, the CEO of American Airlines, speaks next. He said the crash is “devastating” and adds: “We’re absolutely heartbroken for the family and loved ones of the passengers and crew members.”
‘No survivors’ expected at crash site, with 27 bodies recovered from plane and 1 from helicopter
DC fire and EMS chief John A Donnelly speaks next. He said the crash alert was sounded at 8.48pm last night.
First responders found, he said, “extremely frigid conditions. They found heavy wind. They found ice on the water, and they’ve operated all night in those conditions.”
He is thanking a lengthy list of various agencies and departments who came to assist the operation.
He says: “we don’t believe there are any survivors” and that 27 bodies have been recovered from the plane, and one from the helicopter.
Sean Duffy continues by saying “safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely.”
He says president Donald Trump and the respective authorities “will not rest until we have answers for the families, and for the flying public.”
Sean Duffy, US secretary of transportation, is speaking now. He praises state and federal authorities for working in unison. He says it was a clear night last night, and the helicopter was in a “standard flight pattern”. He says the aircraft coming into land was also on a standard flight path. He says both aircraft have been located. The plane was found inverted, in three sections, in waist-deep water.
Muriel Bowser says there is “a profound sense of grief” after the crash, adding that families have been affected “from across our region, as well as in Kansas and across the country”.
Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser is beginning her update briefing at Reagan national airport.
