Aviation Liker

At least 30 people have been confirmed dead following a mid-air collision between a passenger plane and a US Army helicopter near Washington DC, according to CBS News. The collision caused the plane, carrying 64 passengers and crew, to crash into the Potomac River. Among those on board were figure skaters from the US, and Russia confirmed that some of its citizens were also involved. Search and rescue teams have been working overnight in freezing conditions to recover the victims. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has temporarily closed as authorities investigate the incident. What happened? Around 9:00 PM local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday, a PSA Airlines jet operating as American Airlines 5342 collided with a US Army Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as it was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The plane had departed from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The helicopter, which was...

  SAN FRANCISCO -- An Asiana Airlines flight packed with more than 300 people slammed onto the runway while landing at San Francisco airport Saturday and caught fire, forcing many to escape by sliding down the emergency inflatable slides and into a trail of metal debris as flames tore through the plane. At least two people who were found outside the wreckage died in the crash, while another 182 people were taken to hospitals, many with minor injuries, authorities said. Forty-nine people were reported to be in critical condition, San Francisco International Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said. As the plane approached the runway from the waters of San Francisco Bay around noon, travelers in the terminals and others eyewitnesses could see that the aircraft was swaying unusually from side to side and that at one point the tail seemed to hit the ground before breaking off. Kate Belding, who was jogging a few miles away, said she thought: "Oh my God. That plane is crashing." By the t...