As of last evening concerned residents of Wichita and the rest of Kansas were still awaiting the release of a passenger list from American Eagle Flight 5342, all passengers of which are believed to have perished when the plane struck a military helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.CC Wednesday evening about 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
The release of that list was pending the final notification of remaining relatives.
In a remote press conference, Kansas Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran said it was almost assured Kansas were on the flight and that they probably knew someone who was killed in the accident.
Te Bombardier CRJ-700 had departed Wichita about 5:30 Central Time and was on final approach to the runway when video of the accident appears to show the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter with a pilot and two other crew board stray into the path of the oncoming commuter plane. Wreckage from both aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River, which complicated search and recovery efforts by boats and additional aircraft which were almost immediately on the scene.
The incident is believed to be the first collision of aircraft in the U.S. in 16 years, scarring an industry which has taken pride in its safety record and its level of technological innovation both in aircraft manufacturer and an air traffic control. Flight conditions were reportedly clear at the D.C. last night, with no out of the ordinary air traffic or activities.
Sixty passengers and four crew were reported aboard the airplane. About half the known passengers as well as the three soldiers had been recovered from the Potomac River by mid-day Thursday. A report published by the Associated Press taken from a Federal Aviation Administration official said staffing in the control tower was ”not normal” at the time of the crash. The Black Hawk was on what was termed a routine training mission, one of many flown in the D.C. area. The national transportation and safety board has pledged to release a report on the crash within 30 days.
CBS News reported a number of top figure skaters from the U.S. and Russia were aboard the commuter flight, returning home from the National Development Camp, which was held in connection with the recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
During a Wichita press conference, Wichita mayor Lily Wu said the city and its residents would pull together to endure the devastating news.
“It’s a terrible tragedy that will unite those of Washington, D.C., and Wichita, Kansas, forev,” Wu said. “Tragedies like this remind us that we are one community – whether a Wichitan, a Kansan or an American we are one community, and in times of struggle we do come together to lift one another.”
Fourth District Congressman Ron Estes told media in attendance despite the impact of the tragedy he still felt confident in the strong safety measures prominent in U.S. commercial aviation, but that a full review of the incident was needed to determine areas of critical improvement.
Dane Hicks is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He is the author of novels "The Skinning Tree" and "A Whisper For Help." As publisher of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, KS., he is a recipient of the Kansas Press Association's Boyd Community Service Award as well as more than 60 awards for excellence in news, editorial and photography.
