SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Officials delivered a tragic update on the crash between a Black Hawk military helicopter and a regional jet at Reagan National Airport during an overnight press conference.
ABC 10News has the latest details on that breaking news story, as well as more headlines on homelessness in San Diego and the possibility of self-driving cars coming to the area.
Of course, meteorologist Vanessa Paz has your local microclimate forecasts to help you start your day right.
Here's what you need to know in the Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, edition of the 10News Wake Up Call newsletter:
BREAKING OVERNIGHT:
During a press conference early Thursday morning, officials said they believe there are no survivors following a crash between a Black Hawk military helicopter and a regional jet that was approaching Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
A massive search and rescue operation that included divers was underway in the Potomac River, but officials said during the press conference that it is now a recovery operation. As of the 4:30 a.m. PT press conference, 27 bodies were recovered from the plane, while one was recovered from the helicopter.
You can watch the press conference below:
The plane involved was American Eagle Flight 5342, which originated from Wichita, Kansas. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said 60 passengers and four crew members were on the plane. The transportation secretary said during the press conference that the jet was found inverted and in three pieces in the Potomac River.
"We've set up a special helpline friends and family can call at 1-800-679-8215... if you believe you've had friends or family on board American Eagle flight 5342," Isom said.
Isom added that the aircraft was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said the Army helicopter, based in Virginia, was on a training flight with three people on board when the collision occurred.
In response to the incident, Reagan National Airport issued a ground stop for all arriving and departing flights.
President Donald Trump and his administration are monitoring the situation.
If you've lived in San Diego long enough, you probably remember the 1978 tragedy over North Park. That's when Pacific Southwest Airlines flight 182 crashed with a Cessna, killing 144 people.
ABC 10News reporter Dani Miskell reported live from the memorial in North Park. As she explained, the crash played a pivotal role in developing new technology pilots use today to avoid midair collisions.
You can find the latest information from the press conference here.
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS:
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
TODAY'S TOP STORY:
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness is holding its annual point-in-time count Thursday morning. The count aims to determine the number of people living on the streets in San Diego.
ABC 10News reporter Moses Small was live from Father Joe's Villages' Joan Kroc Center in the East Village.
The task force estimates that more than 10,000 people around San Diego County live on the streets, but the county has seen improvement over the past few months.
The task force says the data from the point-in-time count will be released in about three months, so it should be publicly available by the spring.
Watch Moses' report from the 5 a.m. show below:
CONSUMER:
Waymo will test out autonomous, self-driving cars in San Diego later this year, according to a report from technology media outlet The Verge.
According to The Verge's report, the company will send several vehicles to America's Finest City that will be manually driven.
Waymo wants to get an idea of how its robo-taxis adapt to different locations.
The Verge report indicates that just because testing will happen in San Diego doesn't mean that the service is guaranteed to launch here.
Waymo's robo-taxi service is already in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles.
WE FOLLOW THROUGH:
ABC 10News followed through with a school that is backing the San Diego Unified School District's directive to protect students who are immigrants.
"We are going to keep doing the best we can. We are still going to maintain a safe environment and reassure all of our families that their children are safe in our schools," said Perkins Elementary School principal Fernando Hernandez.
Perkins, located in Barrio Logan, has been a safe haven for many families seeking asylum. If ICE officers show up at the school, Hernandez says he has been instructed to do three things.
Fernandez must contact school police and legal counsel with the officer's badge number and a copy of the warrant they have. He must also call the superintendent's office.
"And number three, we are to contact the parents of any child whose name might appear on the warrant," Hernandez added.
Hernandez says ICE has not come to the school yet. But he says officers are not allowed to interview students without a parent's permission.
Watch Aaron Dickens' full report below:
You can find the district's full policy on immigration enforcement here.
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