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A catastrophic mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has left at least 60 people dead, following a devastating crash involving an American Airlines flight and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.
The fatal incident, which occurred over the Potomac River, has prompted an extensive emergency response effort. American first responders, along with multiple agencies, have mobilised search and recovery operations in the river as they work to locate survivors and recover debris.
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Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the collision, and investigations are currently underway to establish how the commercial aircraft and military helicopter came into contact. The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the aviation and defence communities, raising urgent concerns about airspace safety near one of the country’s busiest airports.
Officials are expected to release further details as rescue and investigative efforts continue, while families of the victims and the wider public await updates on this heartbreaking disaster.
In a similar case of aircraft crash reported by Pulse few months ago, Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has formally charged a man in connection with the tragic death of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala, who was killed in a light aircraft crash over the English Channel last year.
“The UK Civil Aviation Authority has commenced a prosecution of David Henderson for offences associated with the fatal light aircraft accident over the English Channel in January 2019,” said CAA director Richard Stephenson in a statement published on the regulator’s website.
Henderson, 66, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 28 September and was granted bail ahead of a scheduled appearance at Cardiff Crown Court on 26 October. While legal proceedings unfold, the CAA has remained tight-lipped on further details. “It will be inappropriate for the CAA to say anything further until the case is concluded,” Stephenson added.
The development has been met with a mixed response from Sala’s family, particularly his mother, Mercedes Taffarel, who welcomed the move but expressed concern over the potential for further delays in uncovering the full circumstances of her son's death.
“His mother remains desperate to know the full truth about how this could have been allowed to happen, and urges the CAA to proceed with its criminal prosecution as swiftly as possible, so an inquest can be held to establish this, and that similar deaths are prevented,” said Daniel Machover from the legal firm Hickman and Rose.
Sala, 28, died on 21 January 2019, when the single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft carrying him and pilot David Ibbotson crashed into the Channel. The footballer had recently completed a £15 million ($19 million) transfer from French club Nantes to Cardiff City, becoming the Welsh side’s record signing.
After finalising his move, Sala briefly returned to France to collect his belongings and bid farewell to his teammates before boarding the ill-fated flight back to Cardiff, where he was set to begin training with his new club.
Initial search operations for Sala and Ibbotson were suspended in the days following the aircraft’s disappearance, sparking widespread appeals for further efforts to locate them. The case has since raised significant concerns regarding the safety and legality of the flight, with ongoing legal proceedings aiming to provide long-awaited answers for Sala’s grieving family.