Likely no survivors in Washington plane crash: Official

A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.

There are likely no survivors from a collision between a passenger jet and US Army helicopter in Washington, officials said Thursday, as recovery operations pulled 28 bodies from the river into which both crashed.

"At this point we don't believe there are any survivors," Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly told a news conference at Reagan National Airport, outside the US capital. "We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation."

Donnelly said 27 bodies were recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter.