Officials in Kansas Give Update on Deadly Midair Collision Near Washington
Mayor Lily Wu participates in a media briefing on the morning of January 30, 2025. (Image courtesy of the City of Wichita)
Mayor Lily Wu and other Wichita city officials held a press briefing on Thursday morning to address the community with updates on the deadly American Airlines plane crash.
Article by Darcy Byrne, Senior Political Producer
WICHITA, Kan. - An 8:00 a.m. CT/9:00 a.m. ET press conference was held at Wichita’s City Hall on Thursday regarding Wednesday’s crash of an American Airlines flight en route to Washington, D.C. from Wichita, Kansas.
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu opened the briefing, stating that she and other Wichita City Officials aim to provide support to the community and all who have been affected. She also began by thanking the first responders in Washington, D.C., who worked through the night during the search and rescue process.
Wu shared that they are still learning “minute-by-minute details of the tragedy” and emphasized that they will only share confirmed updates at this time.
Holding back tears of heartbreak, Mayor Wu announced that, “at this time, we have been told that there are no survivors,” adding that the city “mourns with all those who have been impacted.”
Wu also confirmed the major details of Wednesday’s crash, stating, “As we know, an American Airlines jet carrying 64 people plunged into the Potomac River after colliding midair with an army helicopter on Wednesday night. We are hearing recovery teams in Washington, D.C. had pulled more than two dozen bodies from the icy waters.”
At the time of the conference, the mayor stated that they did not have confirmation of any of the victims’ identities, but that when they did, they would not be sharing those details until after families had been contacted.
Congressman Ron Estes followed Mayor Wu during the briefing, sharing that he had gotten updates throughout the night from the White House Situation Room and the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Estes stated that at the time, the NTSB was preparing for an investigation of the incident but was waiting for search and rescue efforts to conclude before they began.
Estes followed up by saying:
“I do want to make a general comment about air safety in general. I mean, we have the safest skies of any country in the world. And when a tragic incident like this happens, obviously, we want to do the investigation, which will take days and weeks to do through that process, and to make sure that we can prevent accidents like this from happening in the future.”
Estes added that both Wichita and Washington, D.C. would provide additional updates as information were confirmed.
Airports Director Jesse Romo shared a few more details about the state of Wichita's Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport during the incident. He said the airport activated their family instant support team on Wednesday night. Among this team were airport staff, City Manager Bob Leighton, and several council members who sought to offer support to any family members who showed up at the airport that night. Mayor Wu confirmed that only one passenger's family came to Wichita's airport after the news of the crash.
Romo said that the airport has remained open throughout the wake of the tragedy.
Mike Zamrzla, a representative from Senator Jerry Moran’s office, also spoke at the conference on Moran’s behalf. Like Wu, he confirmed that there were no survivors, and shared his condolences, saying, “As we awaken this morning to this tragic news, my heart grieves for the lives that were lost and their loved ones who are now learning that their friend or family member was among those who perished.
Community members were able to get more details during a Q&A session of the briefing. When asked how families would be notified about the status of passengers, Estes said it would ultimately be the job of the NTSB and FAA who are working in tandem with American Airlines. Officials, however, were unable to give an estimate at this time of how many passengers were Wichita residents.
Major Wu ended the press conference by inviting the community to a prayer service that took place in the council chambers at City Hall at noon on Thursday.
This is a developing breaking news story. Additional updates will be posted as more information is released. American Airlines has asked, “If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.”