Former DHS Secretary Alejandro Maykorkas was on a separate American Airlines flight that was turned around because of the DC plane collision. Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson reports on this and more on ‘Fox & Friends Firs.https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/mayorkas-on-separate-american-airlines-flight-that-was-turned-around-fox-news-learns/vi-AA1y6PPE?ocid=socialshare&pc=U531&cvid=c25e2a721efc49ddf57c21823c98bb29&ei=28

An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, Wednesday night, prompting a multi-agency search-and-rescue operation, according to officials.

The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicates a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with the helicopter while on approach to the airport around 9 p.m. local time.

2 Russian figure skaters on board plane that crashed

Russian media reported that two Russian figure skaters were on board the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter outside D.C. and a presidential spokesman expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the plane crash.

“There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday morning.

Earlier, several Russian state media outlets reported that the 1994 world figure skating champions in pairs, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on board the plane, though U.S. authorities have not confirmed these reports.

Jan 30, 3:03 AM

Figure skaters, coaches among passengers aboard jet that collided with helicopter over DC

Figure skaters and coaches returning from the national championships were aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, the U.S. Figure Skating organization confirmed.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.” the organization said in a statement. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

19 aircraft diverted from Reagan National Airport after crash

Some 19 aircraft that were in the air and due to land at Reagan National Airport had to be diverted after the mid-air collision of a regional American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, according to an airports official

The diverted flights landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, said Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, who spoke at an early Thursday morning press briefing.

Reagan National will be closed until at least 11 a.m. Thursday, but the situation is fluid, Potter said

Jan 30, 2:31 AM

Hegseth says Army, Pentagon have launched investigation

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said an immediate investigation has been launched after the mid-air collision of an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday.

“Absolutely tragic,” Hegseth posted on X. “Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families.”

Trump weighs in on crash

President Donald Trump released a statement on social media about the jet-helicopter crash over the Potomac River seeming to question the actions of the helicopter pilots and Air Traffic Control.

“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” Trump posted on his platform Truth Social. “Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”

According to radio traffic, Air Traffic Control at the airport advised the helicopter of the plane’s approach and asked the helicopter pilots to confirm they had the plane in sight, which is standard procedure.

Investigators will work to understand what went wrong.

Jan 30, 2:13 AM

Kansas senator describes ‘unbearable sorrow’

In somber remarks at a news conference early Thursday morning, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall suggested he feared the passengers and crew aboard a regional American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that collided were lost.

“When one person dies, it’s a tragedy,” Marshall said. “But when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow … It’s really hard when you lose, you know, probably over 60 Kansans, simultaneously.”

Speaking of the pilots, flight attendants and military personnel, Marshall added, “All those lives are so valuable, and it is such a tragedy that we lost them.”