American Airlines chief executive Robert Isom and other team members are travelling to Washington, DC in the aftermath of the midair collision between a military helicopter and a regional jet operated by an American subsidiary.
Isom expressed “deep sorrow” for what could be the first fatal accident involving a US airline in more than 15 years.
“This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts are now focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners [and] first responders, along with their families and loved ones,” he said in a 29 January video posted to American’s website.
The post includes a hotline for concerned family members “who believe they had friends or family on board flight 5342”.
Isom confirmed that 64 people – 60 passengers and four crew members – were aboard the PSA Airlines-operated MHIRJ CRJ700 when it collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter on approach to Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan National airport.
It is unclear how many survived the crash, with a major search and rescue effort underway along the Potomac RIver.
“We are actively working with local, state and federal authorities on emergency response efforts,” Isom says, adding that American is also assisting the families of passengers.
American’s “cooperation is without pause as we want to learn everything we can about today’s events”, he says.
The Forth Worth-based carrier will work with the US National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration on accident investigations, Isom says, pledging to share “accurate and timely information as soon as we can”.
