No survivors in Washington plane crash

A midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight from Kansas killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinised the actions of the military pilot after the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001.

At least 28 bodies, including all three soldiers who were on the helicopter, have been pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River as recovery operations continue, reports the Associated Press.

Passengers on the flight included a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was too soon to speculate and pledged to release a preliminary report within 30 days.

Officials said flight conditions were clear and that the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.

“NTSB investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane involved in yesterday’s midair collision at DCA,” NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson said. “The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation.”

Less than 30 seconds before the crash, air traffic control made contact with the helicopter, which said it had the aircraft “in sight.” It appears air traffic control had no communication with the jet.