Nearly 30 bodies recovered, no survivors expected in DC plane crash

Three seconds later, and at that point it was banked all the way to the right... I could see the underside of it, it was lit up a very bright yellow,

Schulman told CNN

The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. 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,

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform

These responders found extremely frigid conditions, they found heavy wind, they found ice on the water, and they operated all night,

Donnelly said

We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,

Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly told a news conference at Reagan National Airport

I just saw a fireball and it was gone,

one air traffic controller was heard telling another after communication with the helicopter was cut

Sean Duffytransportation Secretary

Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told the news conference

They did have night vision goggles,

he added

We don't believe there are any survivors,

he said

Safety is our expectation, everyone who flies in American skies expects we fly safely,

Duffy said

We will continue to work to find all the bodies to reunite them with their loved ones,

he said

The district office of the medical examiner has lead on reuniting these bodies and these people, with their loved ones,

Donnelly continued

We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,

he added

I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now. That’s all I can pray for."

Hamaad Raza told WUSA

Roger MarshalluS Senator

When one person dies it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it's an unbearable sorrow."

Roger Marshall of Kansas said

All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open. Will update."

The airport said in a post to X

PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ."

The controller made another call to the chopper just moments later, saying

These are experienced pilots. I know that the captain had … almost six years with PSA (Airlines), and the first officer almost two years."

He added

Are efforts now are focussed on entirely on the needs our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders - along with their families and loved ones."

He added