American Airlines Flight 5342 collided mid-air with a Black Hawk military helicopter near Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport on January 29. The plane, carrying 60 passengers and four crew, was arriving from Wichita, while the helicopter, with three soldiers aboard, was on a training mission.

Eyewitness Ari Schulman, driving along the George Washington Parkway, recalled: “They’re all nice and spaced out in a beautiful line when they’re coming into land.” However, when he looked back, he saw something was wrong: “[The plane] was turned hard to the right… illuminated bright yellow with a stream of sparks underneath. It looked like a giant Roman candle.”

At least 19 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River. DC Fire Chief John Donnelly described rescue challenges: “There is wind, there is pieces of ice… not a lot of lights… searching every square inch.”

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom called it a “difficult day” and promised full cooperation in the investigation. Meanwhile, Donald Trump criticized the crash, saying it “should have been prevented.”

Dispatcher audio captured the moment: “I just saw a fireball and then it was gone.” The investigation into the cause is ongoing.