WBAP/KLIF – Washington – A huge search and rescue effort is ongoing after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia Wednesday evening.
The FAA says a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet struck a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport (DCA) around 9 p.m. local time.
PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines and was inbound to Reagan National from Wichita, Kansas.
The airport was to be closed until 11:00AM local time Thursday. The helicopter was reported to be on a training mission and Fox news reports the Air Traffic Controller was trying to communicate with the helicopter to warn it about the incoming jet, to tell it to go behind the aircraft.
The jet was reported to have 64 people on board, the helicopter had three crew members, who were believed to have been on a training flight. No survivors are expected.
Russian media reports that two world champion figure skaters were among those on the jet.
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