Democratic governor vetoed attempt in 2024 to pass comparable measure

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate approved with a bipartisan supermajority a bill prohibiting health professionals from providing gender-affirming care to minors and enforcing that statewide ban with civil, financial and regulatory sanctions for violators.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20250129163959_218903/" target="_blank">Senate voted 32-8 on Wednesday</a>&nbsp;to forward the legislation to the Kansas House, where it was expected to be approved and sent to Gov. Laura Kelly. The Democratic governor vetoed a comparable bill last year, but the Legislature was unable to pull together two-thirds majorities necessary to override her.

Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, said the Help Not Harm Act was necessary to protect children. He said surgeries, puberty blockers and other measures violated the duty of a medical professional to do no harm to the patient.

“A supermajority of the Kansas Senate took a firm stand in support of helping and not harming children by making it clear that transgender ideology and the mutilation of minors is no longer legal in Kansas,” Masterson said.

Masterson said credit for progress on the legislation should be shared with “courageous men and women who have spoken out against the harm these procedures are causing our children.”

The legislation was part of a multi-year campaign in Kansas to stop individuals under the age of 18 from receiving gender-affirming care. It was a political rejection of decisions by Kansans to seek treatment to address a condition described as gender dysphoria, in which a person experienced distress due to a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity.

Health and medical associations warned of harmful consequences to closing off care for youth. Opponents of the measure said it was outrageous to place in statute potential civil penalties and license revocations for professionals working within their scope of practice.

Such a law could be challenged on constitutional grounds. A Kansas Supreme Court decision affirming the right to abortion, which relied upon analysis of the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights, hinged on a belief Kansans had a core constitutional right to bodily autonomy.

Eight of nine Democrats in the Senate voted against the measure. All 31 Republicans voted for the bill, and that veto-proof majority was bolstered by support from Sen. David Haley, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas.

Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, offered an amendment — it was defeated — that would have allowed minors taking medication related to gender-affirming treatment to continue that regimen after a Dec. 31, 2025, deadline written into the bill.

“This bill is extreme and expands far beyond a ban on certain kinds of health care,” Holscher said. “This bill inserts politicians into highly personal, private health care situations and that is against the values of Kansans.”

Identical bills were introduced in the House and Senate to advance the anti-transgender agenda. Republican Sen. Renee Erickson of Wichita introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb63/?#" target="_blank">Senate Bill 63</a>, while Republican Rep. Ron Bryce of Coffeyville was responsible for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2071/" target="_blank">House Bill 2071.</a>

Committees in both chambers conducted public hearings on the bills, but the full Senate acted first. The House could move ahead with Bryce’s bill, which would be open to amendment, or simply concur with the Senate to move the bill as quickly as possible to Kelly.

Once it officially arrived on the governor’s desk, she would have 10 days to determine whether to veto it, sign it or allow it to become law without her signature.

In 2024, Kelly said Kansas shouldn’t join about two-dozen states that banned or restricted gender-affirming care for minors because those actions trampled parental rights and targeted a tiny sector of the state’s population.

“Voters do not want politicians getting between doctors and their patient by interfering in private medical decisions,” Kelly’s veto message said.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, responded to her veto by declaring she would “find herself on the wrong side of history.”

Masterson, the Senate’s president, pledged to override Kelly if she again stood in the way of legislation putting an “end to this extreme practice within our borders once and for all.”

Under Senate Bill 63, a civil cause of action would be created for lawsuits against health professionals involved in gender-affirming chemical or surgical interventions with minors. The measure would set the statute of limitations for such lawsuits at 10 years from the patient’s 18th birthday. The bill would prevent professional liability insurance from covering damages related to these suits.

The measure would restrain use of state tax dollars to promote gender transitioning. It would authorize professional disciplinary sanctions against health professionals responsible for delivering prohibited gender-affirming care.

If a physician prescribed drugs to a minor that were subsequently forbidden by law, the treatment would have to be gradually diminished and discontinued by Dec. 31.

Sen. Beverly Gossage, the Eudora Republican who carried the bill on the Senate floor, theorized 80% of minors seeking gender-affirming treatment suffered from autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, PTSD or some form of trauma. She said many seeking the treatment were victims of sexual abuse.

Gossage, who chairs the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, said three-fourths of these patients were females who were “often influenced by social media.” Physicians and mental health professionals were pressuring youth to accept medical intervention that could begin with puberty blockers and progress to surgery, she said.

“There’s a troubling trend of doctors and mental health experts who are overlooking the underlying issues and putting these kids on an assembly line to so-called gender-affirming care,” Gossage said. “Children are not a social experiment. They are being ushered down a conveyor belt to lifelong pharmaceutical dependencies.”

The Senate defeated an amendment proposed by Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, to allow mental health professionals — school counselors, for example — to provide assistance to minors trying to work through gender issues.

The Senate rejected an amendment by Haley, the lone Democratic supporter of the bill, to change the threshold of medical independence in terms of an individual’s right to gender-affirming care from 18 in the bill to 14. Likewise, the Senate deflected an amendment that would have set the age of medical independence at 16.

Sen. Tory Marie Blew, R-Great Bend, quizzed her colleagues about the age at which a person could legally get a tattoo, vote or drink at a bar.

“At the age of 14, you can change your gender, but you can’t get a drink at a bar until you’re 21? Come on, people,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738256080335.jpeg" alt=" Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, celebrated passage by the Kansas Senate of a bill banning gender-affirming medical care. The bill moves to the Kansas House. Masterson said the Legislature was prepared to override a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, celebrated passage by the Kansas Senate of a bill banning gender-affirming medical care. The bill moves to the Kansas House. Masterson said the Legislature was prepared to override a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Democratic governor vetoed attempt in 2024 to pass comparable measure</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate approved with a bipartisan supermajority a bill prohibiting health professionals from providing gender-affirming care to minors and enforcing that statewide ban with civil, financial and regulatory sanctions for violators.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20250129163959_218903/" target="_blank">Senate voted 32-8 on Wednesday</a>&nbsp;to forward the legislation to the Kansas House, where it was expected to be approved and sent to Gov. Laura Kelly. The Democratic governor vetoed a comparable bill last year, but the Legislature was unable to pull together two-thirds majorities necessary to override her.Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, said the Help Not Harm Act was necessary to protect children. He said surgeries, puberty blockers and other measures violated the duty of a medical professional to do no harm to the patient.“A supermajority of the Kansas Senate took a firm stand in support of helping and not harming children by making it clear that transgender ideology and the mutilation of minors is no longer legal in Kansas,” Masterson said.Masterson said credit for progress on the legislation should be shared with “courageous men and women who have spoken out against the harm these procedures are causing our children.”<h2>‘This bill is extreme’</h2>The legislation was part of a multi-year campaign in Kansas to stop individuals under the age of 18 from receiving gender-affirming care. It was a political rejection of decisions by Kansans to seek treatment to address a condition described as gender dysphoria, in which a person experienced distress due to a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity.Health and medical associations warned of harmful consequences to closing off care for youth. Opponents of the measure said it was outrageous to place in statute potential civil penalties and license revocations for professionals working within their scope of practice.Such a law could be challenged on constitutional grounds. A Kansas Supreme Court decision affirming the right to abortion, which relied upon analysis of the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights, hinged on a belief Kansans had a core constitutional right to bodily autonomy.Eight of nine Democrats in the Senate voted against the measure. All 31 Republicans voted for the bill, and that veto-proof majority was bolstered by support from Sen. David Haley, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas.Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, offered an amendment — it was defeated — that would have allowed minors taking medication related to gender-affirming treatment to continue that regimen after a Dec. 31, 2025, deadline written into the bill.“This bill is extreme and expands far beyond a ban on certain kinds of health care,” Holscher said. “This bill inserts politicians into highly personal, private health care situations and that is against the values of Kansans.”Identical bills were introduced in the House and Senate to advance the anti-transgender agenda. Republican Sen. Renee Erickson of Wichita introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb63/?#" target="_blank">Senate Bill 63</a>, while Republican Rep. Ron Bryce of Coffeyville was responsible for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2071/" target="_blank">House Bill 2071.</a>Committees in both chambers conducted public hearings on the bills, but the full Senate acted first. The House could move ahead with Bryce’s bill, which would be open to amendment, or simply concur with the Senate to move the bill as quickly as possible to Kelly.Once it officially arrived on the governor’s desk, she would have 10 days to determine whether to veto it, sign it or allow it to become law without her signature.In 2024, Kelly said Kansas shouldn’t join about two-dozen states that banned or restricted gender-affirming care for minors because those actions trampled parental rights and targeted a tiny sector of the state’s population.“Voters do not want politicians getting between doctors and their patient by interfering in private medical decisions,” Kelly’s veto message said.House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, responded to her veto by declaring she would “find herself on the wrong side of history.”Masterson, the Senate’s president, pledged to override Kelly if she again stood in the way of legislation putting an “end to this extreme practice within our borders once and for all.”<h2>‘Not a social experiment’</h2>Under Senate Bill 63, a civil cause of action would be created for lawsuits against health professionals involved in gender-affirming chemical or surgical interventions with minors. The measure would set the statute of limitations for such lawsuits at 10 years from the patient’s 18th birthday. The bill would prevent professional liability insurance from covering damages related to these suits.The measure would restrain use of state tax dollars to promote gender transitioning. It would authorize professional disciplinary sanctions against health professionals responsible for delivering prohibited gender-affirming care.If a physician prescribed drugs to a minor that were subsequently forbidden by law, the treatment would have to be gradually diminished and discontinued by Dec. 31.Sen. Beverly Gossage, the Eudora Republican who carried the bill on the Senate floor, theorized 80% of minors seeking gender-affirming treatment suffered from autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, PTSD or some form of trauma. She said many seeking the treatment were victims of sexual abuse.Gossage, who chairs the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, said three-fourths of these patients were females who were “often influenced by social media.” Physicians and mental health professionals were pressuring youth to accept medical intervention that could begin with puberty blockers and progress to surgery, she said.“There’s a troubling trend of doctors and mental health experts who are overlooking the underlying issues and putting these kids on an assembly line to so-called gender-affirming care,” Gossage said. “Children are not a social experiment. They are being ushered down a conveyor belt to lifelong pharmaceutical dependencies.”The Senate defeated an amendment proposed by Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, to allow mental health professionals — school counselors, for example — to provide assistance to minors trying to work through gender issues.The Senate rejected an amendment by Haley, the lone Democratic supporter of the bill, to change the threshold of medical independence in terms of an individual’s right to gender-affirming care from 18 in the bill to 14. Likewise, the Senate deflected an amendment that would have set the age of medical independence at 16.Sen. Tory Marie Blew, R-Great Bend, quizzed her colleagues about the age at which a person could legally get a tattoo, vote or drink at a bar.“At the age of 14, you can change your gender, but you can’t get a drink at a bar until you’re 21? Come on, people,” she said.

Kan. Senate easily adopts bill blocking gender-affirming health care for minors

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned the actions of the army helicopter pilot and air traffic controller ahead of a deadly midair collision in Washington and quickly veered into politics to speculate that Democrats and diversity initiatives shared blame for the deaths of 67 people.

As Trump spoke, a federal investigation into the crash was just getting started and first responders were still working to recover bodies from the wreckage of the commercial jet and army helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday night.

Speaking from the White House — just over three miles from the scene — Trump at points acknowledged that it was too soon to draw conclusions as he encouraged the nation to pray for the victims. But he moved nonetheless to assign blame.

Trump said “we are one family” as he expressed condolences for the crash. He then proceeded to attack political opponents and unleash grievances about diversity initiatives.

“The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website,” Trump said. He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”

Trump said air traffic controllers needed to be geniuses. “They have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,” he said. “You can’t have regular people doing their job.”

Trump said he had no evidence to support his claims that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and hiring preferences played a role in the crash, allowing that "it just could have been.” He defended doing so “because I have common sense.”

The plane crash marked the first major disaster of Trump's new term, and his response evoked his frequent — and controversial — briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic. His handling of the pandemic helped sour voters on him as he failed to win reelection in 2020.

Trump said “we do not know what led to this crash but we have some very strong opinions.” Then he proceeded to hold forth at length about what happened, at one point wondering if the helicopter pilot was wearing night vision goggles.

Trump declared that “you had a pilot problem” and the helicopter was “going at an angle that was unbelievably bad.” And he questioned why the Army pilot didn’t change course, saying that “you can stop a helicopter very quickly.” He also mused about the air traffic controller, saying of the two aircraft, “for whatever reason they were at the same elevation," adding "they should have been at a different height.”

Vice President JD Vance, new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-duffy-transportation-crash-dca-5d372d1945929293f10c1f0de58df3cc">Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy</a>&nbsp;and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth all lined up behind Trump to praise his leadership and echo his concerns about DEI programs and hiring.

“When you don’t have the best standards in who you’re hiring, it means on the one hand, you’re not getting the best people in government," Vance said, “But on the other hand, it puts stresses on the people who are already there.”

Trump complained specifically about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-democrats-buttigieg-governor-dcce1f0fbe78f900136bc1b0fefc4e9d">Pete Buttigieg</a>, who served as transportation secretary under former President Joe Biden, calling him “a disaster.”

“He’s run it right into the ground with his diversity,” Trump said.

Complaining about the previous administration, Trump continued, “their policy was horrible and their politics was even worse.”

Buttigieg responded in a post on X, calling Trump's comments “despicable.” He added: “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying."

Trump made a point to tell Duffy, who was sworn in on Tuesday as Buttigieg's replacement, “It’s not your fault.” Duffy took the White House podium alongside Trump and declared, “When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination.” Duffy added, “We will not accept excuses.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738257732728.png" alt="View of the Thursday morning President Trump press confernce-Photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President" />
 <figcaption>View of the Thursday morning President Trump press confernce-Photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned the actions of the army helicopter pilot and air traffic controller ahead of a deadly midair collision in Washington and quickly veered into politics to speculate that Democrats and diversity initiatives shared blame for the deaths of 67 people.As Trump spoke, a federal investigation into the crash was just getting started and first responders were still working to recover bodies from the wreckage of the commercial jet and army helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday night.Speaking from the White House — just over three miles from the scene — Trump at points acknowledged that it was too soon to draw conclusions as he encouraged the nation to pray for the victims. But he moved nonetheless to assign blame.Trump said “we are one family” as he expressed condolences for the crash. He then proceeded to attack political opponents and unleash grievances about diversity initiatives.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Holds Press Briefing on Aviation Disaster <a href="https://t.co/uyYbkQJ9mp">https://t.co/uyYbkQJ9mp</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1884997692281020745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on DCA helicopter-plane crash: &quot;Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation&#39;s capitol and in our nation&#39;s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZzeXygwpAr">pic.twitter.com/ZzeXygwpAr</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885002717858263358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on NTSB investigation and safety: &quot;I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first...my administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/F557NDQ4iM">pic.twitter.com/F557NDQ4iM</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885004789492175047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on helicopter in crash: &quot;The turn it made was not the correct turn, obviously...For some reason it just kept going...They shouldn&#39;t have been at the same height.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/scHGNIp9Iu">pic.twitter.com/scHGNIp9Iu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885008528877719839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Hegseth: &quot;Tragically last night a mistake was made. I think the president is right. There was some sort of an elevation issue that we have immediately begun investigating.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9udIM2o7Lc">pic.twitter.com/9udIM2o7Lc</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885008961146929508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: Should people be hesitant to fly right now? President Trump: No...this collision is something we don&#39;t expect to ever happen again...I&#39;m not blaming the controller. I&#39;m saying there are things that you can question, like the height of the helicopter, the height of the plane. <a href="https://t.co/QpIDeeT3FG">pic.twitter.com/QpIDeeT3FG</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885012440695423113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: Are you saying this crash was somehow caused and the result of diversity hiring? Pres. Trump: It just could have been...you have to go by brain power. You have to go by psychological quality...these are very powerful tests that we put to use and they were terminated by Biden. <a href="https://t.co/IpaxJ12IBm">pic.twitter.com/IpaxJ12IBm</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885009901354631399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a>: &quot;I just watched President Trump&#39;s news conference. Listen, it&#39;s one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracies, it&#39;s another for the president of the United States to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6kwuyRAOPq">pic.twitter.com/6kwuyRAOPq</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885021113874301270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website,” Trump said. He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”Trump said air traffic controllers needed to be geniuses. “They have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,” he said. “You can’t have regular people doing their job.”Trump said he had no evidence to support his claims that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and hiring preferences played a role in the crash, allowing that "it just could have been.” He defended doing so “because I have common sense.”The plane crash marked the first major disaster of Trump's new term, and his response evoked his frequent — and controversial — briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic. His handling of the pandemic helped sour voters on him as he failed to win reelection in 2020.Trump said “we do not know what led to this crash but we have some very strong opinions.” Then he proceeded to hold forth at length about what happened, at one point wondering if the helicopter pilot was wearing night vision goggles.Trump declared that “you had a pilot problem” and the helicopter was “going at an angle that was unbelievably bad.” And he questioned why the Army pilot didn’t change course, saying that “you can stop a helicopter very quickly.” He also mused about the air traffic controller, saying of the two aircraft, “for whatever reason they were at the same elevation," adding "they should have been at a different height.”Vice President JD Vance, new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-duffy-transportation-crash-dca-5d372d1945929293f10c1f0de58df3cc">Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy</a>&nbsp;and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth all lined up behind Trump to praise his leadership and echo his concerns about DEI programs and hiring.“When you don’t have the best standards in who you’re hiring, it means on the one hand, you’re not getting the best people in government," Vance said, “But on the other hand, it puts stresses on the people who are already there.”Trump complained specifically about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-democrats-buttigieg-governor-dcce1f0fbe78f900136bc1b0fefc4e9d">Pete Buttigieg</a>, who served as transportation secretary under former President Joe Biden, calling him “a disaster.”“He’s run it right into the ground with his diversity,” Trump said.Complaining about the previous administration, Trump continued, “their policy was horrible and their politics was even worse.”Buttigieg responded in a post on X, calling Trump's comments “despicable.” He added: “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying."Trump made a point to tell Duffy, who was sworn in on Tuesday as Buttigieg's replacement, “It’s not your fault.” Duffy took the White House podium alongside Trump and declared, “When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination.” Duffy added, “We will not accept excuses.”

🎥 President Trump takes question on airplane, helicopter crash

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants freed eight hostages on Thursday as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">ceasefire in the Gaza Strip</a>, but the chaotic handover of some of the captives, who were shuttled through a rowdy crowd of thousands by masked militants, drew an angry protest from Israel.

Israel later began releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners after the swap was initially put on hold by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who demanded that mediators assure the safe exit for hostages going forward. He said later that he had received that commitment.

Hamas released seven of the hostages in front of the destroyed home of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-sinwar-leader-2963dbc6e8ef040a00e588488cba33e7">its slain leader, Yahya Sinwar</a>, as thousands pressed in. The militant group called it a “message of determination," but it triggered the latest in a series of disputes that have sent U.S. and Arab mediators scrambling to patch up the truce.

The ceasefire is aimed at eventually ending the deadliest and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">most destructive war</a>&nbsp;ever fought between Israel and Hamas, and securing the release of dozens of hostages abducted in the militant group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.

The first hostage — female soldier Agam Berger, 20 — was released after Hamas paraded her in front of a smaller crowd in the heavily destroyed urban Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Hours later, a chaotic scene unfolded at a handover of the other seven in the southern city of Khan Younis. Hundreds of militants from Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group arrived with a convoy, and thousands of people gathered to watch, some from the tilted rooftops of bombed-out buildings.

Footage showed hostage Arbel Yehoud, 29, looking stunned as masked militants hustled her through the shouting crowd, pushing people back. Also released were Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old Israeli man, and five Thai laborers. Both Yehoud and Moses are dual German-Israeli nationals.

Israel identified the Thai hostages released as: Watchara Sriaoun, 33; Pongsak Thaenna, 36; Sathian Suwannakham, 35; Surasak Rumnao, 32; and Bannawat Saethao, 27. Thai officials said they appeared to be in good health.

A number of foreign workers were taken along with dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers during Hamas’ attack.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hostages-thai-gaza-homecoming-c4ad09c02b87ada5dac2d3e7113ef642">Twenty-three Thais</a>&nbsp;were among more than 100 hostages released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Israel says three Thais remain in captivity, two of whom are believed to be dead.

Yehoud had been at the center of a dispute earlier this week over the sequence in which the hostages would be released. The United States, Egypt and Qatar, which brokered the ceasefire after a year of tough negotiations, resolved it with an agreement that Yehoud would be released with the others on Thursday.

About 20 friends of Yehoud gathered in southern Israel watched as the tense scene unfolded on live television. Some cried. Others had their hands over their eyes or mouths. The crowd then burst into tears after she was turned over to the Red Cross.

Netanyahu condemned the “shocking scenes" and called on international mediators to ensure the safety of hostages in future releases.

Ceasefire holds for now but next phase will be harder

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is set to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, older adults and sick or wounded men, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that eight of the hostages to be released in this phase are dead.

A line of white buses carrying Palestinian prisoners set to be released Thursday left Ofer prison in the West Bank and made their way toward Beitunah, near the occupied West Bank City of Ramallah where relatives and celebrations awaited.

Among those set to be released from prisons Thursday is Zakaria Zubeidi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-jerusalem-middle-east-prisons-west-bank-ce1576a26d245bd4781ba4ff816af2e3">a prominent former militant leader and theater director</a>&nbsp;who took part in a dramatic jailbreak in 2021 before being rearrested days later.

In addition, around 30 people who are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis are set to be freed.

Palestinians have cheered the release of the prisoners, who they widely see as heroes who have sacrificed for the cause of ending Israel’s decadeslong occupation of lands they want for a future state.

Israeli forces have meanwhile pulled back from most of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinians-return-home-ceasefire-2495de01d4581b92789171cad34b7dce">return to what remains of their homes</a>&nbsp;and humanitarian groups to surge assistance.

The deal calls for Israel and Hamas to negotiate a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">second phase</a>&nbsp;in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages and the ceasefire would continue indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.

Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">reasserted its rule over Gaza</a>&nbsp;within hours of the truce. A key far-right partner in Netanyahu’s coalition is already calling for the war to resume after the ceasefire’s first phase.

Hamas says it won't release the remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Hamas started the war when it sent thousands of fighters storming into Israel. The militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">abducted around 250</a>.

Israel’s ensuing air and ground war was among the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-bombs-destruction-death-toll-scope-419488c511f83c85baea22458472a796">deadliest and most destructive</a>&nbsp;in decades. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.

The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence, and that it went to great lengths to try to spare civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in dense residential neighborhoods and put military infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques.

The Israeli offensive has transformed entire neighborhoods&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2025-jabaliya-gaza-extraordinary-photo">into mounds of gray rubble</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-damage-reconstruction-d120f8a0dc8b728c0d8332046a524a92">it’s unclear how or when anything will be rebuilt</a>. Around 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced, often multiple times, with hundreds of thousands of people living in squalid tent camps or shuttered schools.

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Krauss from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738252343760.png" alt="Photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants freed eight hostages on Thursday as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">ceasefire in the Gaza Strip</a>, but the chaotic handover of some of the captives, who were shuttled through a rowdy crowd of thousands by masked militants, drew an angry protest from Israel.Israel later began releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners after the swap was initially put on hold by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who demanded that mediators assure the safe exit for hostages going forward. He said later that he had received that commitment.Hamas released seven of the hostages in front of the destroyed home of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-sinwar-leader-2963dbc6e8ef040a00e588488cba33e7">its slain leader, Yahya Sinwar</a>, as thousands pressed in. The militant group called it a “message of determination," but it triggered the latest in a series of disputes that have sent U.S. and Arab mediators scrambling to patch up the truce.The ceasefire is aimed at eventually ending the deadliest and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">most destructive war</a>&nbsp;ever fought between Israel and Hamas, and securing the release of dozens of hostages abducted in the militant group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.<h2>A show of force as hostages are released</h2>The first hostage — female soldier Agam Berger, 20 — was released after Hamas paraded her in front of a smaller crowd in the heavily destroyed urban Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.Hours later, a chaotic scene unfolded at a handover of the other seven in the southern city of Khan Younis. Hundreds of militants from Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group arrived with a convoy, and thousands of people gathered to watch, some from the tilted rooftops of bombed-out buildings.Footage showed hostage Arbel Yehoud, 29, looking stunned as masked militants hustled her through the shouting crowd, pushing people back. Also released were Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old Israeli man, and five Thai laborers. Both Yehoud and Moses are dual German-Israeli nationals.Israel identified the Thai hostages released as: Watchara Sriaoun, 33; Pongsak Thaenna, 36; Sathian Suwannakham, 35; Surasak Rumnao, 32; and Bannawat Saethao, 27. Thai officials said they appeared to be in good health.A number of foreign workers were taken along with dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers during Hamas’ attack.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hostages-thai-gaza-homecoming-c4ad09c02b87ada5dac2d3e7113ef642">Twenty-three Thais</a>&nbsp;were among more than 100 hostages released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Israel says three Thais remain in captivity, two of whom are believed to be dead.Yehoud had been at the center of a dispute earlier this week over the sequence in which the hostages would be released. The United States, Egypt and Qatar, which brokered the ceasefire after a year of tough negotiations, resolved it with an agreement that Yehoud would be released with the others on Thursday.About 20 friends of Yehoud gathered in southern Israel watched as the tense scene unfolded on live television. Some cried. Others had their hands over their eyes or mouths. The crowd then burst into tears after she was turned over to the Red Cross.Netanyahu condemned the “shocking scenes" and called on international mediators to ensure the safety of hostages in future releases.<h2>Ceasefire holds for now but next phase will be harder</h2>In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is set to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, older adults and sick or wounded men, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that eight of the hostages to be released in this phase are dead.A line of white buses carrying Palestinian prisoners set to be released Thursday left Ofer prison in the West Bank and made their way toward Beitunah, near the occupied West Bank City of Ramallah where relatives and celebrations awaited.Among those set to be released from prisons Thursday is Zakaria Zubeidi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-jerusalem-middle-east-prisons-west-bank-ce1576a26d245bd4781ba4ff816af2e3">a prominent former militant leader and theater director</a>&nbsp;who took part in a dramatic jailbreak in 2021 before being rearrested days later.In addition, around 30 people who are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis are set to be freed.Palestinians have cheered the release of the prisoners, who they widely see as heroes who have sacrificed for the cause of ending Israel’s decadeslong occupation of lands they want for a future state.Israeli forces have meanwhile pulled back from most of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinians-return-home-ceasefire-2495de01d4581b92789171cad34b7dce">return to what remains of their homes</a>&nbsp;and humanitarian groups to surge assistance.The deal calls for Israel and Hamas to negotiate a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">second phase</a>&nbsp;in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages and the ceasefire would continue indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">reasserted its rule over Gaza</a>&nbsp;within hours of the truce. A key far-right partner in Netanyahu’s coalition is already calling for the war to resume after the ceasefire’s first phase.Hamas says it won't release the remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.<h2>Tens of thousands killed</h2>Hamas started the war when it sent thousands of fighters storming into Israel. The militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">abducted around 250</a>.Israel’s ensuing air and ground war was among the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-bombs-destruction-death-toll-scope-419488c511f83c85baea22458472a796">deadliest and most destructive</a>&nbsp;in decades. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence, and that it went to great lengths to try to spare civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in dense residential neighborhoods and put military infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques.The Israeli offensive has transformed entire neighborhoods&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2025-jabaliya-gaza-extraordinary-photo">into mounds of gray rubble</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-damage-reconstruction-d120f8a0dc8b728c0d8332046a524a92">it’s unclear how or when anything will be rebuilt</a>. Around 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced, often multiple times, with hundreds of thousands of people living in squalid tent camps or shuttered schools.___Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Krauss from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed.

Hamas militants free more hostages from Gaza

TOPEKA —Thursday morning, Governor Laura Kelly released a statement on the deadly airplane, helicopter crash.

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives last night and extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones. I have been in constant communication with federal, state, and local officials overnight and want to thank the over 300 first responders from across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for their response efforts. I will issue a flag order today to acknowledge this devastating event and tragic loss of lives."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738235840631.png" alt="Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)" />
 <figcaption>Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Thursday morning, Governor Laura Kelly released a statement on the deadly airplane, helicopter crash."I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives last night and extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones. I have been in constant communication with federal, state, and local officials overnight and want to thank the over 300 first responders from across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for their response efforts. I will issue a flag order today to acknowledge this devastating event and tragic loss of lives."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Currently at Washington Reagan National airport talking with officials. There will be a press conference shortly to provide more information on the American Airlines flight. <a href="https://t.co/f9JPEdsIbr">pic.twitter.com/f9JPEdsIbr</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1884838657976095094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We will continue to work through the night to get answers alongside federal, state and local officials. Pray for Kansas. Pray for the passengers, pilots, the first responders, rescue crews, and their families. <a href="https://t.co/uQDiPMhzVg">pic.twitter.com/uQDiPMhzVg</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1884857317599883570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m heartbroken by last night’s tragic midair collision. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those lost. Right now, my focus is on recovery efforts and doing what we can to support Kansas families. I continue to extend my thanks to local first responders who are…&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1884960939557945647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My team and I are actively monitoring updates related to the collision of the Wichita flight and a DC helicopter. Audrey and I are praying for the safety of the passengers, flight crew, and everyone involved. Please join us in praying.&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1884792910433918993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Rep. Schmidt statement: As details continue to emerge, it&#39;s clear that lives have been lost due to this horrific tragedy. Please join me in praying for all those involved in the crash, our brave first responders working diligently at the scene, and our state of Kansas. (1/2)&mdash; Rep. Derek Schmidt Press (@RepDerekSchmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDerekSchmidt/status/1884832993006518739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kan. lawmakers respond to deadly airplane, helicopter crash

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Everyone aboard an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members that collided with an Army helicopter was feared dead in what was likely to be the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said Thursday.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">the midair collision Wednesday night</a>&nbsp;when the helicopter apparently flew in the path of the jet as it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., officials said.

Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any survivors, which would make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">the deadliest U.S. air crash</a>&nbsp;in nearly 24 years.

“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”

The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found. Donnelly said first responders on Thursday were searching an area of the Potomac River as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, roughly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the airport.

There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the collision</a>, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.

“On final approach into Reagan National it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. "At this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the ... aircraft.”

Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter during a training flight, an Army official previously said.

Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.

Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts’ final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet.

“I would just say that everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “That when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn’t happen last night and I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, the DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly, you’re safe.”

Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.

Duffy,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-duffy-transportation-elon-musk-selfdriving-spacex-tesla-31c739cfb56737413d40c5d1492225df">just sworn in earlier this week</a>, was asked if he could reassure Americans that the United States still has the safest airspace in the world.

“Can I guarantee the American flying public that the United States has the most safe and secure airspace in the world? And the answer to that is, absolutely yes, we do,” he said.

Authorities have ‘early indicators’ of what went wrong

The night was clear, the plane and helicopter were both in standard flight patterns and there was standard communication between the aircraft and the tower, Duffy said.

“We have early indicators of what happened here,” Duffy said, though he declined to elaborate further pending an investigation.

It was not unusual to have a military aircraft flying the river and an aircraft landing at the airport, he said. Asked if the plane was aware that there was a helicopter in the area, Duffy said he would say that the helicopter was aware that there was a plane in the area.

Asked about President Donald Trump suggesting in an overnight social media post that the collision could have been prevented, Duffy said, “From what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not appear at the Thursday morning press conference.

Likely the deadliest plane crash since November 2001

If everyone aboard the plane was killed, it will make it the deadliest U.S. airline crash since Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight just after takeoff crashed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, killing all 260 people aboard.

The last major fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.

Passengers on Wednesday's flight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">included a group of figure skaters</a>, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.

Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.

The FAA said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles south of the White House and the Capitol.

American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.

A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.

Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.

The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (732 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.

Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.

The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily-restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OHKkQu6RU04?si=3XpvUR56gs2QjFTR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Everyone aboard an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members that collided with an Army helicopter was feared dead in what was likely to be the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said Thursday.At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">the midair collision Wednesday night</a>&nbsp;when the helicopter apparently flew in the path of the jet as it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., officials said.Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any survivors, which would make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">the deadliest U.S. air crash</a>&nbsp;in nearly 24 years.“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found. Donnelly said first responders on Thursday were searching an area of the Potomac River as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, roughly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the airport.There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the collision</a>, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.“On final approach into Reagan National it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. "At this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the ... aircraft.”Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter during a training flight, an Army official previously said.Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts’ final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet.“I would just say that everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “That when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn’t happen last night and I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, the DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly, you’re safe.”Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.Duffy,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-duffy-transportation-elon-musk-selfdriving-spacex-tesla-31c739cfb56737413d40c5d1492225df">just sworn in earlier this week</a>, was asked if he could reassure Americans that the United States still has the safest airspace in the world.“Can I guarantee the American flying public that the United States has the most safe and secure airspace in the world? And the answer to that is, absolutely yes, we do,” he said.<h2>Authorities have ‘early indicators’ of what went wrong</h2>The night was clear, the plane and helicopter were both in standard flight patterns and there was standard communication between the aircraft and the tower, Duffy said.“We have early indicators of what happened here,” Duffy said, though he declined to elaborate further pending an investigation.It was not unusual to have a military aircraft flying the river and an aircraft landing at the airport, he said. Asked if the plane was aware that there was a helicopter in the area, Duffy said he would say that the helicopter was aware that there was a plane in the area.Asked about President Donald Trump suggesting in an overnight social media post that the collision could have been prevented, Duffy said, “From what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not appear at the Thursday morning press conference.<h2>Likely the deadliest plane crash since November 2001</h2>If everyone aboard the plane was killed, it will make it the deadliest U.S. airline crash since Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight just after takeoff crashed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, killing all 260 people aboard.The last major fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.Passengers on Wednesday's flight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">included a group of figure skaters</a>, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.<h2>What happened</h2>The FAA said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles south of the White House and the Capitol.American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (732 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily-restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.___

🎥Wichita mayor news conference in response to deadly airplane crash

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided with an Army helicopter while landing</a>&nbsp;at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said Thursday.

Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors, which would make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">the deadliest U.S. air crash</a>&nbsp;in nearly 24 years.

The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.

There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the Wednesday collision</a>, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.

Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter during a training flight, an Army official said.

Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.

“When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow," Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said.

President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident" and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.”

Passengers on the flight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">included a group of figure skaters</a>, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while on approach to an airport runway. It occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.

Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts' final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet.

American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.

The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.

“I know that flight. I've flown it several times myself,” said Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas. He said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight.

“This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.

The collision occurred on a warm winter evening in Washington, with temperatures registering as high as 60 degrees Fahrenheit, following a stretch days earlier of intense cold and ice. On Wednesday, the Potomac River was 36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Weather Service reported that wind gusts of up to 25 mph were possible in the area throughout the evening.

Some 300 first responders were on scene. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport, and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the collision site. At least a half-dozen boats were scanning the water using searchlights.

The crash is serving as a major test for two of the Trump administration’s newest agency leaders. Pete Hegseth, sworn in days ago as defense secretary, posted on social media that an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the Army and the Defense Department. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, just sworn in earlier this week, said at a somber news conference at the airport early Thursday that his agency would provide all possible resources to the investigation.

The last major fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.

Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA has previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.

Located along the Potomac River, just southwest of the city. Reagan National is a popular choice because it’s much closer than the larger Dulles International Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.

Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan can offer passengers spectacular views of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It’s a postcard-worthy welcome for tourists visiting the city.

The collision recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, that killed 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Meg Kinnard, Chris Megerian and Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738207177867.png" alt="Image from Kennedy Center web camera at the time of the collision&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Image from Kennedy Center web camera at the time of the collision&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided with an Army helicopter while landing</a>&nbsp;at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fire &amp; EMS Chief John Donnelly: &quot;We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point we don&#39;t believe there are any survivors from this accident. We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/422JqoEiVO">pic.twitter.com/422JqoEiVO</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1884965008783667498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors, which would make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">the deadliest U.S. air crash</a>&nbsp;in nearly 24 years.“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738234427975.png" alt="Signs display an "Emergency Alert" above an American Airlines counter in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)" />
 <figcaption>Signs display an "Emergency Alert" above an American Airlines counter in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)</figcaption>
 </figure>There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the Wednesday collision</a>, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.“On final approach into Reagan National it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. "At this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the ... aircraft.”Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter during a training flight, an Army official said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For more information, visit <a href="https://t.co/ECDOdj1kdr">https://t.co/ECDOdj1kdr</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Z5vWq4vUJ2">pic.twitter.com/Z5vWq4vUJ2</a>&mdash; The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1884801160353116489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.“When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow," Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said.President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident" and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.”Passengers on the flight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">included a group of figure skaters</a>, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while on approach to an airport runway. It occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts' final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet.American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.“I know that flight. I've flown it several times myself,” said Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas. He said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight.“This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.The collision occurred on a warm winter evening in Washington, with temperatures registering as high as 60 degrees Fahrenheit, following a stretch days earlier of intense cold and ice. On Wednesday, the Potomac River was 36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Weather Service reported that wind gusts of up to 25 mph were possible in the area throughout the evening.Some 300 first responders were on scene. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport, and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the collision site. At least a half-dozen boats were scanning the water using searchlights.The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily-restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.The crash is serving as a major test for two of the Trump administration’s newest agency leaders. Pete Hegseth, sworn in days ago as defense secretary, posted on social media that an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the Army and the Defense Department. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, just sworn in earlier this week, said at a somber news conference at the airport early Thursday that his agency would provide all possible resources to the investigation.The last major fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA has previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.Located along the Potomac River, just southwest of the city. Reagan National is a popular choice because it’s much closer than the larger Dulles International Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan can offer passengers spectacular views of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It’s a postcard-worthy welcome for tourists visiting the city.The collision recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, that killed 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.___Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Meg Kinnard, Chris Megerian and Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed to this report.

🎥Fire Chief: No survivors after jet from Kan. collided with Army helicopter 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Passengers aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">the American Airlines flight</a>&nbsp;that collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River included figure skaters returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and two of their Russian coaches.

There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight on Wednesday and three soldiers aboard the training flight on the Blackhawk helicopter. Hope of rescuing any survivors evaporated by daybreak.

"We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital, on Thursday morning. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”

Donnelly said he's confident that the remains of those killed in the crash will be recovered, but it may take some time.

U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement that several skaters, coaches and their family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the championships that wrapped up Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.

Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as a Russian couple who were pairs world champions 30 years ago.

It's not the first time that the U.S. figure skating community has been rocked by an air tragedy. The 18-member U.S. team that was set to compete in the 1961 world championships at Prague died when Sabena Flight 548 crashed on Feb. 15, 1961, in Berg-Kampenhout, about 45 minutes outside of Brussels. Also killed were six U.S. coaches and four skating officials, along with some family members.

American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centers in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about family members who may have been aboard Wednesday's downed flight.

Here are the passengers identified in Wednesday night's crash so far:

Shishkova and Naumov won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan. They competed twice in the Olympics.

The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Shishkova and Naumov were aboard the plane.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed," Peskov said. “There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash.”

The International Skating Union sent a statement saying it was deeply shocked and heartbroken.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Passengers aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">the American Airlines flight</a>&nbsp;that collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River included figure skaters returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and two of their Russian coaches.There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight on Wednesday and three soldiers aboard the training flight on the Blackhawk helicopter. Hope of rescuing any survivors evaporated by daybreak."We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital, on Thursday morning. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”Donnelly said he's confident that the remains of those killed in the crash will be recovered, but it may take some time.U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement that several skaters, coaches and their family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the championships that wrapped up Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as a Russian couple who were pairs world champions 30 years ago.It's not the first time that the U.S. figure skating community has been rocked by an air tragedy. The 18-member U.S. team that was set to compete in the 1961 world championships at Prague died when Sabena Flight 548 crashed on Feb. 15, 1961, in Berg-Kampenhout, about 45 minutes outside of Brussels. Also killed were six U.S. coaches and four skating officials, along with some family members.American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centers in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about family members who may have been aboard Wednesday's downed flight.Here are the passengers identified in Wednesday night's crash so far:___<h2>Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov</h2>Shishkova and Naumov won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan. They competed twice in the Olympics.The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Shishkova and Naumov were aboard the plane.“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed," Peskov said. “There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash.”The International Skating Union sent a statement saying it was deeply shocked and heartbroken.

Passengers on downed flight included American and Russian figure skaters

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided with an Army helicopter</a>&nbsp;while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. There were multiple fatalities, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews hunted for any survivors.&nbsp;

Sen. Jerry Moran said the plane that crashed was flying a route from Wichita to Washington that began about a year ago. “I know that flight,” he said. “I’ve flown it several times myself.” Moran said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight. “This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.

Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter, an Army official said.

There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the Wednesday collision</a>, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport were halted as dive teams scoured the site and helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in a methodical search for bodies.

“We are going to recover our fellow citizens,” District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a somber news conference at the airport in which she declined to say how many bodies had been recovered.

The person who told The Associated Press that there had been multiple deaths was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said, “When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”

Passengers on the flight included a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow” for the crash and said the company was focused on the needs of passengers, crew, first responders and families and loved ones of those involved.

“It’s a highly complex operation,” said D.C. fire chief John Donnelly. "The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">last major fatal crash</a>&nbsp;involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738236323050.png" alt="New U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran during the overnight press conference" />
 <figcaption>New U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran during the overnight press conference</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided with an Army helicopter</a>&nbsp;while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. There were multiple fatalities, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews hunted for any survivors.&nbsp;Sen. Jerry Moran said the plane that crashed was flying a route from Wichita to Washington that began about a year ago. “I know that flight,” he said. “I’ve flown it several times myself.” Moran said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight. “This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.Click the video below to watch<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LIVE: Update on Tonight&#39;s Plane Collision <a href="https://t.co/8IK8LlKp07">https://t.co/8IK8LlKp07</a>&mdash; Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorBowser/status/1884842402638102811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter, an Army official said.There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the Wednesday collision</a>, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport were halted as dive teams scoured the site and helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in a methodical search for bodies.Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.“We are going to recover our fellow citizens,” District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a somber news conference at the airport in which she declined to say how many bodies had been recovered.The person who told The Associated Press that there had been multiple deaths was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said, “When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident" and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.”Passengers on the flight included a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while on approach to an airport runway. It occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts' final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet.American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.“I know that flight. I've flown it several times myself,” said Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas. He said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight.“This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.The collision occurred on a warm winter evening in Washington, with temperatures registering as high as 60 degrees Fahrenheit, following a stretch days earlier of intense cold and ice. On Wednesday, the Potomac River was 36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Weather Service reported that wind gusts of up to 25 mph were possible in the area throughout the evening.American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow” for the crash and said the company was focused on the needs of passengers, crew, first responders and families and loved ones of those involved.Some 300 first responders were on scene. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport, and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the collision site. At least a half-dozen boats were scanning the water using searchlights.“It’s a highly complex operation,” said D.C. fire chief John Donnelly. "The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders.”The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily-restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.The crash is serving as a major test for two of the Trump administration’s newest agency leaders. Pete Hegseth, sworn in days ago as defense secretary, posted on social media that an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the Army and the Defense Department. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, just sworn in earlier this week, said at a somber news conference at the airport early Thursday that his agency would provide all possible resources to the investigation.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">last major fatal crash</a>&nbsp;involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA has previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.Located along the Potomac River, just southwest of the city. Reagan National is a popular choice because it’s much closer than the larger Dulles International Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan can offer passengers spectacular views of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It’s a postcard-worthy welcome for tourists visiting the city.The collision recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, that killed 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.___Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Meg Kinnard, Chris Megerian and Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed to this report.

🎥 Kan. lawmakers hold press conference following aircraft tragedy

At noon Thursday, a prayer service hosted by the Greater Wichita Ministerial League will be held at City Hall, 455 N. Main, in the Wichita City Council Chambers, according to a statement from the City.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided with an Army helicopter</a>&nbsp;while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. There were multiple fatalities, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews hunted for any survivors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738235840631.png" alt="Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)" />
 <figcaption>Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. (AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm)</figcaption>
 </figure>At noon Thursday, a prayer service hosted by the Greater Wichita Ministerial League will be held at City Hall, 455 N. Main, in the Wichita City Council Chambers, according to a statement from the City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738243774102.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided with an Army helicopter while landing</a>&nbsp;at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said Thursday.Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors, which would make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">the deadliest U.S. air crash</a>&nbsp;in nearly 24 years.“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the Wednesday collision</a>, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.“On final approach into Reagan National it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. "At this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the ... aircraft.”Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter during a training flight, an Army official said.Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.“When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow," Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said.President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident" and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.”Passengers on the flight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">included a group of figure skaters</a>, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while on approach to an airport runway. It occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts' final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet.American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.“I know that flight. I've flown it several times myself,” said Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas. He said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight.“This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.The collision occurred on a warm winter evening in Washington, with temperatures registering as high as 60 degrees Fahrenheit, following a stretch days earlier of intense cold and ice. On Wednesday, the Potomac River was 36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Weather Service reported that wind gusts of up to 25 mph were possible in the area throughout the evening.Some 300 first responders were on scene. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport, and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the collision site. At least a half-dozen boats were scanning the water using searchlights.The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily-restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.The crash is serving as a major test for two of the Trump administration’s newest agency leaders. Pete Hegseth, sworn in days ago as defense secretary, posted on social media that an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the Army and the Defense Department. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, just sworn in earlier this week, said at a somber news conference at the airport early Thursday that his agency would provide all possible resources to the investigation.The last major fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA has previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.Located along the Potomac River, just southwest of the city. Reagan National is a popular choice because it’s much closer than the larger Dulles International Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan can offer passengers spectacular views of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It’s a postcard-worthy welcome for tourists visiting the city.The collision recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, that killed 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.___ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided with an Army helicopter</a>&nbsp;while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. There were multiple fatalities, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews hunted for any survivors.Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter, an Army official said.There was no immediate word on the cause of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">the Wednesday collision</a>, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport were halted as dive teams scoured the site and helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in a methodical search for bodies.Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.“We are going to recover our fellow citizens,” District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a somber news conference at the airport in which she declined to say how many bodies had been recovered.The person who told The Associated Press that there had been multiple deaths was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said, “When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident" and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.”Passengers on the flight included a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while on approach to an airport runway. It occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts' final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet.American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.“I know that flight. I've flown it several times myself,” said Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas. He said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight.“This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.The collision occurred on a warm winter evening in Washington, with temperatures registering as high as 60 degrees Fahrenheit, following a stretch days earlier of intense cold and ice. On Wednesday, the Potomac River was 36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Weather Service reported that wind gusts of up to 25 mph were possible in the area throughout the evening.American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow” for the crash and said the company was focused on the needs of passengers, crew, first responders and families and loved ones of those involved.Some 300 first responders were on scene. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport, and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the collision site. At least a half-dozen boats were scanning the water using searchlights.“It’s a highly complex operation,” said D.C. fire chief John Donnelly. "The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders.”The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily-restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.The crash is serving as a major test for two of the Trump administration’s newest agency leaders. Pete Hegseth, sworn in days ago as defense secretary, posted on social media that an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the Army and the Defense Department. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, just sworn in earlier this week, said at a somber news conference at the airport early Thursday that his agency would provide all possible resources to the investigation.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">last major fatal crash</a>&nbsp;involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA has previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.Located along the Potomac River, just southwest of the city. Reagan National is a popular choice because it’s much closer than the larger Dulles International Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan can offer passengers spectacular views of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It’s a postcard-worthy welcome for tourists visiting the city.

Prayer service Thursday following airplane, helicopter crash

KANSAS CITY —The Clay County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, led a counter-human trafficking operation Jan. 23 and 24 that resulted in the arrest of two men who sought to have sex with a child, as well as services provided to more than a dozen potential trafficking victims.

Two men identified as 33-year-old&nbsp;Jose Trinidad-Diaz of Kansas City, Mo. / Mexico and 34-year-old&nbsp;Dominic Shelby of Kansas City, Kan. &nbsp;have been charged with felony attempted child enticement after they tried to meet whom they believed to be a 14-year-old girl for sex.

 It was actually under-cover detectives who had been chatting with them online and by text message. 

At the same time as the predator operation, investigators conducted a victim advocacy operation at a Clay County hotel. They had posted an online ad purportedly soliciting sex, knowing that many sex workers are victims of human trafficking. Twenty-seven sex workers responded to the hotel, and 13 agreed to accept services to leave a life of sex trafficking and/or sex work. Advocates from the organizations Value Unconditional and Relentless Pursuit met with them to begin giving them resources for their journeys.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738161592950.png" alt="Trinidad-Diaz-photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Trinidad-Diaz-photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Clay County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, led a counter-human trafficking operation Jan. 23 and 24 that resulted in the arrest of two men who sought to have sex with a child, as well as services provided to more than a dozen potential trafficking victims.Two men identified as 33-year-old&nbsp;Jose Trinidad-Diaz of Kansas City, Mo. / Mexico and 34-year-old&nbsp;Dominic Shelby of Kansas City, Kan. &nbsp;have been charged with felony attempted child enticement after they tried to meet whom they believed to be a 14-year-old girl for sex. It was actually under-cover detectives who had been chatting with them online and by text message. At the same time as the predator operation, investigators conducted a victim advocacy operation at a Clay County hotel. They had posted an online ad purportedly soliciting sex, knowing that many sex workers are victims of human trafficking. Twenty-seven sex workers responded to the hotel, and 13 agreed to accept services to leave a life of sex trafficking and/or sex work. Advocates from the organizations Value Unconditional and Relentless Pursuit met with them to begin giving them resources for their journeys.

Kan. man arrested after human trafficking, child sexual abuse sting

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

A 29-year-old Kansas man accused of allowing his infant son to fatally ingest methamphetamine was officially charged with murder last week and will go to trial later this year.

Abraham Duran Leon appeared in front of District Judge Curtis Brown in Ellis County District Court on Jan. 22 and was charged with first-degree murder in the commission of a felony. The felony stems from possession of methamphetamine. The alternate charge in the chase is murder in the second degree, unintentional but reckless.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of April 2, 2024, Leon’s 5-month-old infant son was found unresponsive and not breathing.

An autopsy report revealed the child had methamphetamine in his system and died from complications related to methamphetamine intoxication.

Leon is being held on two other cases totaling nine charges, seven felonies and two misdemeanors.

Among those charges are two counts of drug possession, three counts of interference with a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing and eluding, and criminal damage to property.

Leon, who is&nbsp;represented by two court-appointed attorneys, has filed several pro se motions in all three of the cases.

Those included a motion to suppress evidence, a writ of habeas corpus claiming there is no jurisdiction he is held in prison and several motions to dismiss the case because his right to a speedy trial has been violated.

During the hearing, Judge Brown explained to Leon his right to a speedy trial does not start until he is arraigned.

He also told Leon any delays caused by the defendant’s motions would not count against the state’s time. It has to take him to trial, and it counts against the defendant.

Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham said the state wants to try all three cases separately, and the state will be going forward with a jury trial in the murder case.

The court initially scheduled the trial for late June, but that has already been moved to September.

Because Leon has filed several motions himself, the court will have a special hearing on March 7 to consider them.

Leon remains in the custody of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712771901192.png" alt="Leon-photo Ellis County" />
 <figcaption>Leon-photo Ellis County</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostA 29-year-old Kansas man accused of allowing his infant son to fatally ingest methamphetamine was officially charged with murder last week and will go to trial later this year.Abraham Duran Leon appeared in front of District Judge Curtis Brown in Ellis County District Court on Jan. 22 and was charged with first-degree murder in the commission of a felony. The felony stems from possession of methamphetamine. The alternate charge in the chase is murder in the second degree, unintentional but reckless.According to court documents, in the early morning hours of April 2, 2024, Leon’s 5-month-old infant son was found unresponsive and not breathing.An autopsy report revealed the child had methamphetamine in his system and died from complications related to methamphetamine intoxication.Leon is being held on two other cases totaling nine charges, seven felonies and two misdemeanors.Among those charges are two counts of drug possession, three counts of interference with a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing and eluding, and criminal damage to property.Leon pleaded not guilty to all charges.Leon, who is&nbsp;represented by two court-appointed attorneys, has filed several pro se motions in all three of the cases.Those included a motion to suppress evidence, a writ of habeas corpus claiming there is no jurisdiction he is held in prison and several motions to dismiss the case because his right to a speedy trial has been violated.During the hearing, Judge Brown explained to Leon his right to a speedy trial does not start until he is arraigned.He also told Leon any delays caused by the defendant’s motions would not count against the state’s time. It has to take him to trial, and it counts against the defendant.Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham said the state wants to try all three cases separately, and the state will be going forward with a jury trial in the murder case.The court initially scheduled the trial for late June, but that has already been moved to September.Because Leon has filed several motions himself, the court will have a special hearing on March 7 to consider them.Leon remains in the custody of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department.