D.C. plane crash efforts pivot from rescue to recovery, fire chief says

By Joel Rose,

Russell Lewis, Ayana Archie

Published January 29, 2025 at 9:09 PM CST

Emergency response units access airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport early Thursday in Arlington, Va., after an American Airlines flight from Kansas collided with a helicopter while approaching the airport.

Officials say 28 bodies have been recovered so far after a regional passenger jet carrying 64 people collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night. The plane was approaching a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

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Joel Rose

Joel Rose is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk. He covers immigration and breaking news.

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Russell Lewis

As NPR's Southern Bureau chief, Russell Lewis covers issues and people of the Southeast for NPR — from Florida to Virginia to Texas, including West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. His work brings context and dimension to issues ranging from immigration, transportation, and oil and gas drilling for NPR listeners across the nation and around the world.

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Ayana Archie