Authorities are switching from a rescue to a recovery operation in response to the midair collision of a civilian airliner with a military helicopter, believing there are no survivors.
At a press conference alongside District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday morning, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly Sr. updated the public on rescue and recovery operations.
“Despite all those efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” he said. “We don’t believe there are survivors.”
Donnelly said 27 bodies had been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter. The medical examiner is working on reuniting the bodies with their loved ones.
American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a helicopter, which the Federal Aviation Administration revealed was a military Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60. The airliner had 64 people on board while the helicopter had three.
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The FBI said there’s no indication of criminality or terrorism regarding the crash.
Reagan Airport suspended all takeoffs and landings after the crash, which occurred at 8:48 p.m. Eastern.