WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 For many, the lasting image from the night when a plane and a helicopter collided over the dark Potomac River is the scattered children’s suitcases and tiny ice skates. Others recall the daunting scene of boats navigating debris-filled, shallow waters to retrieve the victims. In an instant after landing, lives were suddenly lost.<\/p>\n
Relatives of those on American Airlines Flight 5342 and the Black Hawk Army helicopter observed the one-year remembrance Thursday of the deadliest air disaster on U.S. soil in more than two decades. Meanwhile, rescuers relived the intense moments that night and the challenging recovery that followed, as they plunged repeatedly into frigid waters polluted with jet fuel and dangerous debris, despite near-zero visibility, hoping to find survivors.<\/p>\n
Tragically, no survivors were found; daughters, sons, spouses, and parents were recovered from the river, identified, and returned to their families.<\/p>\n
The plane, carrying 64 people from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., struck a Black Hawk helicopter with three crew members shortly before landing on January 29, 2025, killing all 67 aboard both crafts.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the hour\u2019s end, it was clear there would be no survivors,\u201d stated John Donnelly, Chief of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Services. The focus shifted to recovering bodies and belongings and assisting investigators.<\/p>\n
For nearly a week, divers and responders worked tirelessly in roughly 8 feet (2.5 meters) of water to recover and identify victims. Some searched for months afterward for personal effects.<\/p>\n
Tim Lilly, a former Black Hawk pilot whose 28-year-old son Sam was co-pilot on the flight, praised the responders: \u201cDiving in the Potomac is tough even in good conditions, but what they did that night was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
In spring, Lilly and his wife Sheri were taken to the river site to lay flowers, meeting the individual who helped recover their son\u2014a deeply emotional and healing moment.<\/p>\n
The initial distress call, \u201cCrash, crash, crash,\u201d came from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport\u2019s control tower at 8:48 p.m., triggering the largest regional emergency response since 9\/11. By midnight, around 350 personnel, including 20-30 Port Security Force divers, were at the scene.<\/p>\n
Robert Varga, a Metropolitan Police Department scuba diver with 16 years of experience, recalled the call coming in while home and being underwater within an hour. \u201cWhen we’re called, we know it\u2019s serious,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The last major Potomac incident was an Air Florida plane crash in 1982 that killed 78 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was complete chaos,\u201d said Lt. Sam Short of Washington Fire and Rescue, the first on the scene with divers, describing a horrific situation he struggles to put into words.<\/p>\n
The crash site featured the partially submerged plane fuselage, scattered luggage, and a strong jet fuel odor.<\/p>\n
Officer and diver Jeffrey Leslie recalled getting the call while putting his young kids to bed. Returning to the site months later, the sight of planes landing nearby sharply stirred memories, especially the area near Runway 33, where Flight 5342 was supposed to land.<\/p>\n
Leslie noted personal items like a young figure skater\u2019s white ice skates\u2014a passenger returning from a competition\u2014often triggered memories and offered some comfort.<\/p>\n
Chief Donnelly prioritized family safety, the investigation, and responder welfare amidst dangerous conditions, often sharing grief with families.<\/p>\n
A memorial in Washington recently honored families and emergency personnel, while some attending a National Transportation Safety Board hearing wore shirts recognizing response units.<\/p>\n
Lt. Andrew Holos stressed mental health support for responders, acknowledging the trauma is difficult to prepare for.<\/p>\n
Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Firefighters, noted their union deployed peer support workers to meet with 75% of the involved firefighters and paramedics to help them recognize and address traumatic stress.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany responders are parents themselves, making the impact even more profound,\u201d Kelly said.<\/p>\n
Short called the experience \u201ctough,\u201d mentioning lost colleagues and months of recovery time needed by responders.<\/p>\n
Donnelly\u2019s department continues to monitor divers\u2019 health due to potential exposure to hazardous substances.<\/p>\n
Leslie described returning personal items like earrings, wedding bands, and children\u2019s skates to families as a form of healing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey valued every possession we could give back,\u201d Holos shared.<\/p>\n
Varga hopes families understand that emergency workers did everything possible to rescue victims and bring closure.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made repeated efforts over months to recover personal effects because we knew how much they mattered,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, this brings some peace for the families.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reported from Omaha, Nebraska by Funk.<\/p>\n
Fan Take:<\/strong> While this tragic event might seem distant from basketball, it underscores the broader human stories that touch us all, including athletes and fans alike. Recognizing the courage and resilience of emergency responders reminds us of the strength communities must harness, which often mirrors the teamwork and perseverance celebrated on the court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 For many, the lasting image from the night when a plane and a helicopter collided over the dark Potomac River is the scattered children’s suitcases and tiny ice skates. Others recall the daunting scene of boats navigating debris-filled, shallow waters to retrieve the victims. In an instant after landing, lives were suddenly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[39],"class_list":{"0":"post-39870","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-basketball"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39870\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}