FACTBOX: What we know about aftermath of passenger plane collision near Washington, D.C.

Emergencies January 30, 15:12

US officials have not disclosed any information about potential survivors, the Crisis Management Center of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated

MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. An airplane carrying 64 people on board collided with a military helicopter carrying at least three crew members midair over Washington.

TASS has gathered the main facts about the deadly accident.

Circumstances behind emergency

- The US Federal Aviation Administration reported that a Bombardier CRJ700 passenger plane was involved in a midair collision with a Black Hawk military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

- The American Airlines regional flight had departed from Kansas with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard.

- At least three soldiers were in the helicopter.

- The wreckage of the aircraft plunged into the Potomac River.

- Rescuers and divers continue to search for possible survivors.

- Dive teams combed through the site and recovered one of the flight recorders from the crashed plane, CBS News reported.

- The helicopter crew informed the dispatcher that the plane was within their field of vision, the Associated Press reported, citing recorded transmissions.

Casualties

- US officials have not disclosed any information about potential survivors, the Crisis Management Center of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

- American figure skaters and coaches were among the passengers, according to The Wichita Eagle.

- Russian figure skaters and other citizens were also on the flight, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed.

- Russia's 1994 world champions in figure skating, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, along with Inna Volyanskaya, a bronze medalist at the 1980 USSR Championships, were listed among the passengers, a source told TASS.

Authorities' response

- US President Donald Trump described the incident as a "bad situation", stating that the "terrible" crash "should have been prevented."

- Search and rescue operations remain underway, and an investigation was immediately launched by the US Army and the Department of Defense, according to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

- There is no evidence of criminal activity or terrorism, NBC News quoted a senior FBI official as saying.

- US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the agency would deploy the Coast Guard to assist in search and rescue missions.

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