Washington DC plane crash: 300 first responders executing ‘rescue operation’ in ‘very dark, cold conditions,' mayor says

D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly has confirmed that the search is now entirely on the waters of the Potomac River, and not overland.

After at least 18 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River following a midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a "rescue operation” is underway in Potomac River. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly has confirmed that the search is now entirely on the waters, and not overland. He also said that they “don't know if there are survivors.”

An emergency response team with Washington, DC Fire and EMS make their way to airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. An American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided with a helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. (Photo by Andrew Harnik / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

The rescue operation is not easy, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser has said. About 300 first responders are reportedly battling dark, cold and windy conditions while executing the search.

‘They are working diligently in very dark, cold conditions’

“Our fire department, DC fire and EMS, supported by fire departments and police departments from across the metropolitan region are executing a rescue operation in the Potomac River,” Bowser said. “They are working diligently in very dark, cold conditions – cold water – to execute this rescue operation."

Donnelly also confirmed that currently about 300 responders are working” from throughout the region, including the US Coast Guard. “The water that we're operating in is about eight feet deep. There is wind. There are pieces of ice out there. So it's just dangerous and hard to work in,” he added.

Donnelly also said that even though the first responders’ first priority is to look for survivors, they will also work with the National Transportation Safety Board to help preserve evidence. "We will re-evaluate where we are with a rescue operation in the morning, when we get a better sense of it," he added.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Ronald Reagan National Airport will remain closed until late Thursday morning, January 30. The Arlington, Va. airport is set to reopen with first flights taking off at 11 am, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO Jack Potter has confirmed.