'A terribly tragedy': Wichita mayor Lily Wu addresses American Airlines tragedy: Watch
Officials believe no one survived the crash involving an American Airlines passenger plane with an Army helicopter.
The plane was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., when the crash occurred, according to American Airlines.
On Wednesday, just before 9 p.m. ET, American Airlines Flight 5342 was involved in a mid-air collision near the Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C., American Airlines said in a statement. On board the plane was 60 passengers and four crew members.
Wichita mayor says city will hold a community prayer vigil
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu called Wednesday's crash a "terrible tragedy" and said it "will unite those in Washington, D.C., and Kansas, Wichita, forever."
"Tragedies like this remind us that we are one community; whether a Wichitan, a Kansan or an American – we are one community and in times of struggle, we do come together in grief and sadness to lift one another," Wu said at an emotional news conference Thursday. "Wichita is stronger because we are together."
Wu said officials will hold a public prayer vigil at city hall Thursday afternoon and urged residents to join them.
“At this time our community needs to come together to support the family members who have been impacted, to come together in honor of those individuals on that flight,” she said.
Who was on board?
Information regarding the plane's passengers is still being released, but multiple figure skaters, their families, friends, and coaches are confirmed to have been onboard the American Airlines flight, according to a statement from the International Skating Union.
'Heartbreak beyond measure'
“When one person dies, it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow,” U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said at an airport press conference. “It's a heartbreak beyond measure.”
“It’s really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said he lobbied for the nonstop Wichita-to-D.C. flight that started last year. He said he’s been a passenger on the route many times himself.
“It is certainly true that in Kansas and in Wichita in particular, we're going to know people who are on this flight, know their family members, know somebody. So, this is a very personal circumstance as well as an official response.”
Watch Wichita Mayor Lily Wu address the tragic crash below:
