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How the D.C. plane crash is impacting flights at North Texas airports

Crews search for bodies in Potomac River's freezing waters
Crews search for bodies in Potomac River's freezing waters 03:55

FORT WORTH – A midair collision near Washington, D.C., involving an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, is causing flight disruptions at DFW-area airports, with severe weather in North Texas further complicating travel.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in a post on X that he is closely monitoring the situation and will receive a briefing from the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday.

"Please join Heidi and me in praying for all involved as the search and rescue is underway," Cruz wrote.

Reagan National Airport was expected to remain closed until 10 a.m. CT.

The Washington D.C. aircraft crash

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was a CRJ 700 aircraft traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., when it appeared to have collided with a military plane on approach and landed into the Potomac River.

Four crew members piloted the flight, which carried 60 passengers for a total of 64 people on board. The Army Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three soldiers.

Officials said there are no survivors, and as of 5:45 a.m. CT, rescue teams recovered at least 30 bodies from the plane that had broken into multiple pieces in 5-8 feet of water.

How are North Texas airports impacted?

More than 150 flights into or out of DFW International Airport have been canceled so far on Thursday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. More than 180 flights into or out of DFW have been delayed. 

Strong storms that moved through North Texas Wednesday night into Thursday morning were the reason for most of the disrupted flights. However, 12 flights between DFW and Reagan National were canceled. 

At Love Field, all three flights canceled on Thursday were arriving from or departing to Reagan National.

What is PSA Airlines?

PSA Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fort Worth-based American Airlines.

According to its website, the aircraft is based in Dayton, Ohio, and operates over 500 daily flights for American Airlines.

American Airlines CEO responds

"First and most importantly, I'd like to express our deep sorrow about these events," Isom said in a video statement Wednesday night. "This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones," Isom said.

Isom said they are actively collaborating with local, state and federal authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board and its investigation, on emergency response efforts. The American Airlines care team was activated to assist passengers and their families.

The CEO said he and the Go Team would be traveling to D.C., and he advised those concerned about their loved ones' welfare to call a special helpline at 1-800-679-8215.

"Our cooperation is without pause, and we want to learn everything we can about today's events that work will take time, but anything we can do now, we're doing, and right now that means focusing on taking care of all passengers and crew involved, as well as their families," Isom said. "Please know that we'll continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can, but anything we must report must be accurate. We owe that to everyone involved."

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