Witness of American Airlines plane crash saw something ‘looked very wrong’ moments before collision

The tragic moments before an American Airlines plane collided with an army helicopter have been remembered by an eyewitness.

Sixty passengers, four cabin crew, and three soldiers were among the 67 individuals involved in the incident, which happened last night (January 29).

The two planes collided in midair as they were en route to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.

While those on the Black Hawk helicopter were engaged in a training exercise, the commercial flight was departing from Wichita, Kansas.

Eyewitnesses have been coming forward to share their first-hand accounts of what they saw as authorities continue to try to piece together what caused the crash.

Ari Schulman, who frequently travels the George Washington Parkway, is one individual who has spoken out. At the time of the tragedy, he was traveling along this route.

“I always look [at the planes landing] when I’m driving home,” Schulman said in an interview with NBC Washington. It’s always a beautiful, fascinating sight. As they approach land, they are all nicely separated in a lovely line.

Schulman continued by recalling what is thought to have been the American Airlines flight, saying that its route appeared “totally normal” to him. He was eager to see it land, so he turned back onto the road.

“I wanted to get another look to try and see the plane land, so I turned back again a few seconds later and it looked very, very wrong,” he said.

“[The plane] had a sharp rightward turn, perhaps 90 degrees or more. You shouldn’t be able to see the underside of a plane, but I was able to see it because it was so dark outside.

“But it was visible to me. A stream of sparks flowed beneath it, and it was bright yellow in illumination. I thought it resembled a gigantic Roman candle.

As of this writing, 19 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the Potomac River as a result of the collision that occurred last night.

Officials have not yet verified this number, though.

According to DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, it will be challenging for divers to find the remaining bodies.

He remarked, “The challenges are access,” “The water that we’re operating in is about 8ft deep.”

Donnelly went on: “There are ice fragments and wind outside. It’s simply hazardous and challenging to work in. And since there aren’t many lights, you’re looking everywhere to see if anyone is there.”

Related Posts

Barbara, wearing a pink robe and slippers, pulls several huge black trash bags down the driveway of her immaculate suburban home while an adult male neighbor watches from across the street.

Barbara Put Five Black Bags at the Curb Every Morning—Then I Opened One

Barbara’s home, lawn, and spotless SUV suggested a perfectly ordered life. But the enormous black bags she dragged outside every morning made me wonder what she was hiding.

A worried mother closes a basement door after leading her adult son’s fiancée toward the wine shelves while her husband and son watch in shock from a prepared dining room.

My Son Brought Home His Fiancée—Then I Recognized Cindy

After three months of secrecy, my son finally brought his fiancée to dinner. One look at her face—and one familiar name—turned our celebration into a call to the police.

A middle-aged man looks inside an open pizza box at a sealed pouch containing a mysterious blackened object while his wife watches from behind.

The Blackened Object in My Pizza Box

A routine pizza delivery left me staring at a sealed pouch containing a blackened, unrecognizable object. I thought the restaurant had made a bizarre mistake—until the manager called me by name.

A grieving adult woman stands on her porch at dawn, staring at dozens of baby strollers with sealed boxes covering her front lawn, including a large black stroller near the steps.

The Morning After I Gave Away Noah’s Nursery, Strollers Covered My Lawn

After my newborn son died and my husband left, I gave Noah’s unused belongings to a struggling mother. By sunrise, dozens of strollers covered my lawn—and the largest held something I believed was impossible.

A mature woman stands calmly behind a hardware store counter with a deed while her husband and another adult woman react tensely on the opposite side.

He Came Home With Plans for My Store—Then He Saw the Oak Leaf on the Deed

While I recovered from heart surgery, my husband emptied our savings and made plans for the building my father left me. He returned with a new partner, confident I would surrender—until he noticed a tiny symbol on the deed.

My Sister Inherited Mom’s House While I Got Her Old Sewing Basket—Then She Called Me at Midnight

My sister received our mother’s house, car, and savings. I received a dented sewing basket—and the responsibility hidden beneath its lining changed what we believed our mother had left behind.