HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Two flights destined for Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., were diverted to Richmond International Airport (RIC) following a plane crash involving a military helicopter Wednesday night.
Those flights originated from Savannah, Georgia, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to online flight information from RIC.
An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members 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. Washington, D.C., Fire Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said in a Thursday morning news conference that officials do not believe anyone survived a mid-air collision.
Three soldiers were on board the helicopter, an Army official said.
No flights were scheduled to fly to Reagan National from RIC Thursday morning.
RIC spokesperson Troy Bell told CBS 6 he was not aware of any additional diversions or impacts to local flights.
Pastor Henrietta Anderson of Mount Calvary Baptist Church said her first instinct after hearing the news was to call on a higher being.
“My initial reaction was let me pray. Hopefully somebody survived and somebody didn’t, but I needed to pray because I didn’t want people to have the wrong attitude of who did what and who didn’t do what,” Anderson explained. “I am going to make some calls today so that my church and my prayer partners will pray for them because that’s all I know what to do.”
Karen Hill is a frequent flyer, yet Wednesday’s crash had her feeling apprehensive.
“I think it’s devastating and terrifying. I think air travel is becoming more common for more people, week over week, year after year — and it doesn’t make me feel safe as I leave my children and get on a plane today,” Hill stated. “When you have family you’re leaving behind, if you’re traveling for work or for fun, it makes me nervous for sure.”
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