“I pray someone is pulling her out of the river”: harrowing reactions to tragic AA crash

An American Airlines commercial plane crashed into Potomac River in Washington DC after a mid-air collision with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter just before 9:00 p.m. ET.

There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the AA flight, which had come from Wichita in Kansas and was moments away from landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.

Three soldiers were in the helicopter, which was reportedly in the midst of a training mission having set out from Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

300 first responders have so far recovered 28 bodies, according to CBS News. DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly has stated he “doesn’t believe there are any survivors from this accident," which would mean a death toll of 67.

Donald Trump’s thoughts on AA collision

The tragic incident has drawn reactions from a number of high-profile figures across the United States, including Donald Trump. In a post on Truth Social, the President of the United States questioned how the crash could have occurred:

“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing. Why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. 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!!!”

Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth called the incident “absolutely tragic”.

Eye witnesses, meanwhile, have spoken to various media outlets. “A fireball,” “a stream of sparks,” “a giant Roman candle” and “a white flare” are just some of the terms they used to describe what they saw.

The most heartbreaking reaction to American Airlines tragedy

But undoubtedly the most heartbreaking reaction came from Hamaad Raza, whose wife was a passenger on the AA flight. He told CBS News that his spouse had texted him to say she was landing in 20 minutes.

“I am just praying someone is pulling her out of the river right now.”

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