US | Potomac plane crash Fire Chief: We Don't Think Anyone Survived Plane Crash All 64 people aboard American Airlines jet, and 3 on Army helicopter, are feared dead By John Johnson Posted Jan 30, 2025 7:15 AM CST Copied Signs display an "Emergency Alert" at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) See 20 more photos The fire chief in DC delivered the unwanted update Thursday morning that was growing more and more inevitable after Wednesday's plane crash into the Potomac River: Nobody is believed to have survived, reports NBC News. "We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation," said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation's capital. "We don't believe there are any survivors." A total of 64 people were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. Three people were aboard the military chopper. This would be the deadliest US plane crash in 24 years, reports the AP. Search teams found the body of the plane upside down in waist-deep water, broken into three sections. They also found the wreckage of the helicopter. (Figure skaters were aboard the plane.) Read These Next A Delta flight got wild with an allegedly unruly passenger. FBI parts ways with the ADL over Turning Point USA controversy. Judge gives Combs prison. A Trump coin looks to be in the works, with legal questions swirling. Get breaking news in your inbox. What you need to know, as soon as we know it. Sign up See 20 more photos Report an error