America is in a state of shock after an American Airlines passenger aircraft crashed into a BlackHawk US Army military helicopter near Washington D.C at around 9pm on Wednesday (January 29).The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while three personnel were on board the helicopter.

Flight 5342 was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, before the two aircrafts crashed and plummeted into the Potomac River.19 bodies have been recovered from the river as the search efforts have continued into Thursday (30 January).

The tragic incident comes just days after President Trump overhauled the Department of Homeland, with the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard being removed from their post before their term had been completed.

Ranking Member Larsen said in a press release: “The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the Administration to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers. That’s what the law says, so the Administration must rescind this ridiculous executive order.