Just before 9:03 p.m. on January 29, an American Airlines plane, which originated in Wichita, collided head-on with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission. The incident occurred just moments before the regional passenger jet was supposed to land at Reagan National Airport, which is located near the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
Sadly, despite the fact that search and rescue operations got underway immediately following the incident’s occurrence, the emergency response crew quickly switched exclusively to being a recovery operation, per MSNBC.
Unfortunately, 64 passengers and crew on the plane and 3 service members who were on the military helicopter died in the mid-air collision between the two aircraft. Now there is a search for answers.
What Contributed To This Mid-Air Crash Happening?
The investigation involving the mid-flight collision of American Airlines flight 5342 is still in the infancy stage. Many times, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other investigations into airplane crashes like these tend to take numerous months, if not at least a year, to complete. However, the authorities are hopeful to have some preliminary report within the next month.
Once the black boxes have been analyzed, investigators can determine whether busier-than-usual flight traffic, ineffective training, communication issues, or difficult runway design could have all contributed to causing this crash.
Video taken from area governmental buildings and other business rooftops leading up to the crash shows the two aircraft flying in each other’s direction mere moments before a fireball comes into view, presumably as impact occurred. Although the night sky makes it challenging to see exactly what happened in the aftermath, the white passenger jet can be seen breaking apart and falling into the Potomac River below.
Reports are that the training mission the Black Hawk helicopter was on at the time was typical training that occurred at Reagan National Airport (DCA).
What’s Known About the Aircraft Occupants
Although it’s still early on in the investigation, details about some of the occupants of the American Airlines aircraft have already been released.
Several of the plane’s estimated 45 to 64 passengers and crew were youth participating in a U.S. Figure Skating event in Wichita over the past few days. There were also at least two reported Russian 1990s-era figure skating world champions aboard.
Where To Turn If This Mid-Air American Airlines Collision Affected You and Your Family
While plane crashes have, fortunately, become increasingly rare in our country in recent years, when they do occur, survival rates can be low. If there are survivors, they tend to suffer catastrophic injuries that forever change their life paths.
Our law firm, Prochaska, Howell & Prochaska LLC, joined those of you who found themselves grappled by what happened last night and were hoping and praying that those aboard the two aircraft would have miraculously survived. However, now that first responders say that it’s beyond the point that anyone else could have survived the freezing cold Potomac River, we join you in sending our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
If you were personally impacted by this Wichita plane crash and want to better understand the rights Kansas law may afford you after this preventable accident, reach out to us to speak with one of our personal injury attorneys in Wichita. We’re ready to help you.
