The deadly midair crash over D.C. area in charts and maps
The crash took place at around 8:48 p.m. near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just south of the city, when a small passenger plane making its final approach to the airport collided with an Army helicopter.The graphics below illustrate what we know about the crash so far. They will be updated as more information is made available.
The collision involved American Eagle Flight 5342, a small plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and an Army Black Hawk helicopter with three people on board.
The helicopter was performing an 'annual proficiency training flight' at the time of the crash, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday.
The Army tracks its aviation branch mishaps, and according to its data there were more serious mishaps — those involving deaths, disability or multimillion dollars of damage — last year than there were in the previous decade.
Data from the aircraft tracking site ADS-B Exchange shows the plane descending at the time of the crash, with its altitude dropping from 4,000 feet to around 300 feet. The helicopter's last broadcast altitude shows it was flying near 200 feet.
There were no survivors, President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday, making it the first fatal commercial aircraft in the United States since 2009 and the second aviation accident with 10 or more victims this decade.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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