Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com
Around 9pm in Washington D.C., on Wednesday evening, an American Airlines plane departing from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport collided with an Army helicopter mid-air while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. The plane has been reported to be carrying 67 passengers, including several U.S. ice skaters, coaches and their family members.
This comes just after the weekend of the Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships where several of our country’s ice skaters competed in Wichita.
The manifest of the passengers on board haven’t been released, but news of those lost trickles in as family and friends are notified. President Donald Trump said that the manifest would be released. So far, 40 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River but responders except no survivors from the tragic collision.
All three bodies of the soldiers who were onboard the Army helicopter have been recovered as well. The reason for the crash is unknown, but Air Traffic Control, (ATC), audio indicated that ATC reached out to the helicopter, asking if the pilot could see the airplane, with no response. When the pilot did not answer, the ATC agent directed the helicopter to travel behind the plane just seconds before they collided. The helicopter was reported to be executing a training mission at the time of the collision.
In a joint Zoom press conference with news media, Senator Roger Marshall and Senator Jerry Moran indicated that the public will soon learn a lot about aircraft transponders more than they ever wanted to know. Transponders, which tell aircraft where other aircraft are in special relation through radar. Senator Moran said that military and commercial transponders don’t communicate with each other, which is a huge concern to him.
“We need to make certain that every American is safe to fly, and they know they’re safe to fly,” said Senator Moran. “There is no future in the aviation industry unless that’s the case.”
Other questions Senator Moran has included why the military trains in this airspace near D.C. where the airspace is constantly busy, and that common sense could prevent that. Senator Marshall said that a slew of errors has brought us to this tragic collision, but wouldn’t speculate on who or what exactly caused it.
Without any evidence, President Trump on Thursday morning during a press conference, indicated that the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion initiative could be partial to blame for the crash. He went on to say that the Federal Aviation Administration’s hiring policies of allowing disabled, part-disabled, or handicapped persons in any capacity could’ve caused unintelligent or underqualified people into the ATC. His claims hold no space or weight as investigative authorities have not found nor released the cause of the crash.
With these statements, President Trump quickly and negligently politicized a tragic loss to our nation. The crash and heart-wrenching losses are not and should not be a political gain for anyone.
Governor Laura Kelly traveled to Wichita and held a press conference with other officials such as Wichita Mayor Lily Wu and Congressman Ron Estes. She also directed flags to be flown half-staff until sundown on February 6 to honor those lost in the crash.
“Today, Kansas mourns a tragedy,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I am devastated by the event that unfolded last night and extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ loved ones. Thank you to the more than 300 brave first responders in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area who were on the scene immediately. This is a sad day for our state and our nation.”
The Wichita Foundation organization put together a community fundraiser for the victims, their families and first responders affected by the crash, named ICT Together. Through the foundation, donors can contribute financial funds which will be used for direct assistance for impacted families, resources for first responders, local nonprofits and organizations aiding in recovery efforts as well as mental health services and grief counseling. To donate to the foundation visit the website at https://wichitafoundation.org/ict-together.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those impacted by the tragic collision of Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas to Washington, D.C.,” the website reads. “We offer our deepest condolences and support to their families, loved ones, and all those touched in our communities by this heartbreaking event.
ICT Together is a community-led response to support those affected by this evolving tragedy. Managed by the Wichita Foundation, the fund will provide aid to impacted families and local efforts, adapting to meet the community’s changing needs as we heal.”
As a reminder, if you or someone you know thinks you know someone who was on the plane that crashed, call American Airlines at 1-800-679-8215. The team will help confirm if the said person was on board or not.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has set up a National Disaster Distress Helpline. The helpline provides immediate crisis counseling to people affected by aviation disaster. The phone number to call is 1-800-985-5990.
The Times-Gazette would like to extend their condolences to those affected by the plane crash. The passengers, crew and their families are in our thoughts and prayers during this time.
