Sunday16 February 2025
inbusinesskz.com

Washington plane crash: no survivors reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that all 64 individuals on board the American Airlines flight, which collided with a military helicopter, have died. The Associated Press has referred to this incident as possibly the largest aviation disaster in the United States in nearly 25 years, according to Orda.kz.
Авиакатастрофа в Вашингтоне: все пассажиры погибли.

Nevertheless, Donald Trump emphasized that "incompetence played a role." According to him, due to hiring initiatives aimed at ensuring diversity and inclusivity, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is hiring "employees suffering from severe forms of mental retardation, psychiatric issues, and other mental and physical disabilities." Meanwhile, air traffic controllers "should be geniuses."

Later, the U.S. president signed a memorandum for an immediate safety review of air travel in the country. Particular attention will be given to ensuring competence in hiring employees, which, according to Trump, should take precedence over the inclusivity policies that prevailed under Joe Biden.

An American Airlines plane, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was flying from Wichita, Kansas. It collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. Both the plane and the helicopter fell into the Potomac River.

According to the latest reports, more than 40 bodies have already been recovered from the river, including three soldiers who were on the helicopter. Search efforts are ongoing.

As reported by the BBC, the airplane broke into several pieces and is submerged underwater at a depth of 1.5 to 2.4 meters. The military helicopter is overturned but appears to be virtually undamaged. According to military sources, it was conducting a training flight.

The passenger list for American Airlines flight 5342 has not yet been released. However, the U.S. Figure Skating Federation confirmed that among those on board were athletes, coaches, and family members returning home from a National Development Camp held in Wichita in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

In addition to the winners of the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships, coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the plane also carried coach Inna Volyanskaya, a bronze medalist at the Soviet Union Championships in pairs skating.

According to CNN, both black boxes were found on the plane.