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Connect the World
CNN International: Wichita Officials Hold Briefing on Fatal Plane Collision; Israel Announced Delay in Release of 110 Palestinian Prisoners; Regan National Airport to Reopen Following Deadly Collision; Israeli PMO: Release of Palestinian Prisoners will go Ahead; DC Fire: No Survivors in Midair Collision, this is now a Recovery OP. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired January 30, 2025 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: This is the scene in Washington where a recovery operation is underway following a collision of an American
Airlines passenger jets and Black Hawk Helicopter. It is 09:00 a.m. there. It is 06:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "Connect the
World".
Also coming up, eight hostages have been freed from Gaza. We have the latest on the ground. And President Donald Trump's Nominee for FBI Director
Kash Patel and the pick for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, face Senators in the next hour in their confirmation hearings.
All right. Welcome to the show, and we're awaiting a news conference from Wichita, Kansas, where an ill-fated commercial flight left Wednesday for
Washington, only to suffer a catastrophic midair collision near the D.C. Airport. Video from a webcam facing Reagan National Airport shows a flash
of orange where American Airlines 5342, collided with a military helicopter. The chopper was on a training flight. 64 people were on board
the passenger jet, three soldiers on the helicopter. The D.C. Fire Chief confirmed the worst of our suspicions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN DONNELLY, DC FIRE CHIEF: We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident, and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from
the helicopter. The district office of the medical examiner has lead, on reuniting these bodies and these people with their loved ones, and we will
continue to work to find all the bodies and collect them and reunite them with their loved ones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Hundreds of emergency responders have been searching the scene in frigid temperatures throughout the night and into this morning. We've got
CNN's Julia Benbrook monitoring developments for us from our D.C. Bureau. Julia rescue operations, frankly, underway. The DC Fire Department saying
they don't believe there are any survivors. We're looking at recovery operations right now. What more can you tell us about what's to come in the
next hours?
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, just devastating news that we've been following throughout the night here in Washington, D.C. This American
Airlines passenger jet collided with a Black Hawk Helicopter over the Potomac River, and we've seen those images as they are working to recover
there.
And that was a key thing that we learned from a press conference with officials just a little while ago, is that they are now turning from a
rescue operation to a recovery operation. The DC Fire and EMS Chief saying that they do not believe that there are any survivors. We know that on that
passenger jet, there were 64 people, 60 passengers and 4 crew member and then three soldiers on that helicopter.
During that press conference, we heard from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has only been in this role for a little while. In fact, he was
confirmed on Tuesday, and he spoke about how people should feel safe when they get onto an aircraft. He also outlined that they believe at this point
that these aircraft were on standard flight patterns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Whether it was military aircraft, helicopters, or the American flight. Everything was standard in
the lead up to the crash. Now, obviously something happened here. You'll get more information and more details as this investigation moves forward;
we'll learn what happened.
But again, those who live in the D.C. area, we see military helicopters fly up and down the river. It's a standard path that they fly. They're used to
aircraft landing at DCA. And there's a procedure in place because this happens every day. Something went wrong here. I look forward to the time
and point when we can give you that information, but I don't want to comment on that right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right, we want to take you now to Wichita, Kansas, where the mayor is speaking. Let's listen in.
LILY WU, WICHITA, KANSAS MAYOR: And of course, we will share that information, but not before families have been first contacted. Congressman
Ron Estes is here with us this morning, and I would like to invite him to say a few words.
REP. RON ESTES (R-KS): Well, thank you, Mayor Wu and thank you for all of the city council members for holding this press conference to help share
this information. This is such a tragic for our community, so many of us will be touched by people that we know, directly or indirectly, that were
victims of this tragic tragedy that happened.
[09:05:00]
You know, I overnight I was in contact with the White House Situation Room getting updates as they were going through the process. Spoke last night
with the Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board as well. And at that point in time, their investigation was getting -- they were
getting prepared for that, but they were waiting for the search and rescue efforts to conclude before that they started that investigation.
So, I know this is going to be a tragedy that touches our community. We have such a steep history of being involved in aviation and being a close-
knit community like we are, it's going to have consequences for years to come. I do want to make a general comment about air safety in general.
I mean, we have the safest skies in 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 go through that process, and to make sure that we can prevent accidents like this from happening in
the future. And so, I appreciate all of the updates we'll have this morning. I know there will be more coming out, both -- in DC. Thank you.
WU: Thank you very much, Congressman. We also have a representative for Senator, Jerry Moran, who will share a statement as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayor, thank you. Mike Sanders -- with United States Senator Jerry Moran's office. The Senator asked me to share the following
statement on his behalf. Wichita is located in the heart of our nation, and today we are grieving. I received confirmation this morning that no one
survived the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342.
This is a sad day for Kansans and our nation. 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. There will be much to learn and to do in the
coming days in the wake of this tragedy, but today, please join me in praying for Kansas. May God comfort those who are mourning, Mayor.
WU: I would like to now ask our Airports Director Jesse Romo to provide some updates. And again, a lot of the details are still waiting for
confirmation, and so we ask that Jesse give us the latest that we have confirmed.
JESSE ROMO, DIRECTOR OF AIRPORTS, WICHITA: Thank you, Mayor. Good morning, everyone. I'm Jesse Romo, Director of Airports, which Fire Board Authority.
I don't have a lot of official information to share. We will get that directly from NTSB.
American Airlines will be providing the official updates and information. They do have a newsroom that you can go to online. The website is
aa.com/newsroom there is also an 800 number to utilize for the friends and family members of the people aboard the flight. 1-800-679-8215.
I will say that airport staff did activate our family incident support team last night, and so if family members did show up to the terminal to have
additional information, even for support, we were there with them, with our team of volunteers, along with other airline staff and representatives, the
airport remains open.
There is air traffic continuing right now. We do have fog. So, I would ask everybody to please drive safe as you're headed to the airport or are
traveling today, and keep up with your airline for additional information, and right now, that's all I have.
WU: I would like to say that Director Jesse Romo, City Manager Bob Layton, and several council members were at the airport last night as the care team
got activated. I also learned from American Airlines this morning that additional care team members have come to Wichita and will be providing
support for families as well as crew members. I am in direct contact with American Airlines to find out if -- confirmed information to provide to all
of you.
[09:10:00]
But I want to rate that any information should go to their hotline, especially for families. And that number that Jesse said already, but I
will remind everyone to use again, is 1-800-679-8215. In addition, this afternoon, at high noon, the Wichita City Council in contact with the
Greater Wichita Ministerial League and multiple faith leaders in Wichita will be coming together for a community wide prayer, and we ask that anyone
who would like to join us to come to City Hall here in downtown Wichita, for that community prayer.
All are welcome. 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. And as a council, we will lead in bringing this community together to pray for our community, but also
move our community to know that there are resources.
And as a city, we will have additional resources, especially for staff who have been impacted. And I am again grieving with everyone in our community
and those in Washington, D.C., due to this very tragic incident that happened. We will take a few questions at this time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
WU: At this time, we don't have that information, and I know that we don't have the manifest at this moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible):
WU: The CARE team was activated last night, and one family was there, and I want to say thank you to our local media partners who were respectful here
in Wichita, that says a lot about our community. The CARE team was there to provide comfort for that family, and the council members were also there to
provide comfort for them. But at this time, that is all we have in regards to family members.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
WU: Only one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
WU: Say that again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
WU: I'll have Jesse.
ROMO: Yes, to our knowledge, everything occurred as normal. So, there was no abnormality to the operation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: I know Reagan National was shut down for a while. They have plans to reopen the airport, and I haven't heard yet when exactly they're going to
open, and I haven't heard specifically for this flight, but if we do have additional information that will come from American as well, and so if
folks are looking to fly on that route, just need to continue to check with American Airlines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: Well, good word. The configuration depends -- you know, for each aircraft, but it is approximately about 75 seats normally. And I would have
to get specifics on that aircraft. But I do have that at this time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- any contact with Bombardier, especially with this being an airplane?
ROMO: No. No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: We do not. And you know, most of this incident occurred at D.C. and is being managed by the local partners and federal agencies that are
responding in the D.C. area. But as was asked earlier, the manifest will be managed by American Airlines, and that information will be disseminated
through their official sources, as well as NTSB.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: I don't believe so. I don't have that information, but I can look into that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell us anything about figure skaters? Obviously, that were on the flight we just hosted the U.S. National
Championships on social media, live figures coming out for the best.
ROMO: I understand that some of that information is out there on social media or through other media outlets.
[09:15:00]
But it's not information that we can share at this time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
WU: It was truly an honor to have future Olympians and those who are at the highest competition level of figure skating right here in the air capital.
We were so excited to have the opportunity to host the National Championship. And even yesterday, I had folks tell me how wonderful these
last few days have been with additional individuals that came into our community, whether to watch or to participate.
So, our community was really excited and thankful that everything went well with the championship. And so right now we're just waiting for more
information from U.S. Figure Skating that we can release, but right now we're just hoping and praying again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: They can reach out to the airport administration building.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: I'm going to look that up, because all of a sudden, sleep deprivation kicked in, and my mind went blank on the phone number, but let me respond
back to you in just second.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: Everyone responds to a tragic incident a little differently, and so if they do feel that they would be more comfortable in the terminal or
coming out there to the airport, we're ready to help support them in any way we can. But there isn't any more information that we can share that
they're already being shared with directly by the airline, and so they may want to stay at home as well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)
ROMO: 316-946-4700, is the airport administration building.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)
WU: Not about the helicopter. I have been in contact with several of our federal legislators who, again, are sending their condolences, but this was
very early, that was yesterday or last night. In regards to any additional investigation, I don't have any.
GIOKOS: Alright, that is Lily Wu the Mayor of Wichita, Kansas, press conference giving us a little bit more clarity about what Wichita is doing
to support the families and a little bit more information on what to expect going forward. We also heard from Jesse Romo, the Director of Airports at
Wichita, and importantly, mentioning that the flight was normal.
It took off normal, and was from what they understand, on a normal flight path, which has been said as well from other authorities in D.C. We still
have with us, Julia Benbrook, and we also have Scott Hamilton, an Aviation Analyst and he joins us now from Chicago.
Julia, I want to start off with you and just a little bit of what we heard. One of the questions that was posed to the authorities is what information
they have on the victims. And the figure skating question has come up. Lily Wu, the Mayor said that it was an honor to host the championships, but
really stop there in terms of giving us more information of what we understand the people that were on that plane.
BENBROOK: We do know from U.S. Figure Skating, that at least some of those participants were on that plane traveling from Wichita to the Washington,
D.C. area last night. And early on in that press conference, I wanted to note we heard from Congressman Ron Estes, who represents the Wichita area,
and he spoke about this tragic day, also referring to Wichita as a close- knit community, and highlighting that everyone there is grieving right now after what happened.
He said that he has been in touch with the White House as well as the National Transportation Security Board which is leading the investigation,
the NTSB. And we expect to hear from them later today as well a day full of lots of press conferences from different groups.
[09:20:00]
But they're kind of managing expectations of what we're going to hear, instead focusing their press conference on the process and what we'll see
going forward, instead of advancements in the investigation, because they're waiting for some of those recovery efforts to play out.
GIOKOS: Julia, thank you so much good to have you on. I want to turn our attention now to Scott, and there's a lot to get through. Firstly, your
reaction to the crash, the images that we've seen, we now know, tragically, there are no survivors. It's currently in recovery mode.
But there are so many questions specifically, because we heard that both the Black Hawk as well as the Aircraft were on a normal flight path. What
are you reading into that message? And when you see the images, what questions does that pose?
SCOTT HAMILTON, AVIATION ANALYST: Well, the first off, it surprises me that there's nighttime flight training on the helicopters in such a crowded
airspace. I don't know why they would do that, whether there would be simulators that could do that, but you have the helicopters and the
commercial planes on different frequencies. They don't know that they're there.
We've heard that the ATC was in contact with the helicopters. I haven't heard of any audio yet, that ATC was in contact with the CRJ, and that
those pilots knew that there was possible traffic conflict. In terms of the pictures that we've seen this morning, in daylight, the CRJ looks like it
was severed after the wings in two.
That's where the black boxes are located. If the NTSB can find those black boxes, which I'm sure they will, and if the black boxes are not damaged
beyond being able to download.
GIOKOS: So, in terms of the altitude, there was a question on the altitude, the question on the equipment on board, and where they'd had anti-collision
equipment, and why that didn't come into play? What do you think the potential answer could be on that?
HAMILTON: Well, I don't know if the helicopter has the anti-collision called TCAS that the commercial airliner does, so the investigation will
have to answer that question. It's night time, the helicopter pilots were told to look for the CRJ. They said they had it in sight, but did they have
the right airplane in sight. Did they misidentify the airplane? I'm sure that'll be something that will come out as well.
GIOKOS: All right, Scott, thank you so much for your insights. It's a story we'll continue covering as we get more information. Good to have you on. I
want to head now to the Middle East. Hamas has released three more Israeli hostages today, and five Thai nationals also abducted during the October
2023 terror attacks. This is how it looked in Jabalia Gaza, as masked militants handed over.
Agam Berger, a 28-year-old female Israeli soldier later, in the midst of a chaotic crowd in Khan Yunis, militants released two Israeli civilians. This
is video of 29-year-old Arbel Yahud, being moved through the crowd. A delay in her release prompted Israel to extend its blockade of Northern Gaza an
extra 48 hours.
The other civilian released, Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old male, the five Thai nationals were handed over in a separate agreement between Israel and
Hamas. Now Israel's government is condemning the chaotic scenes and huge crowds seen during the hostage release in Khan Yunis.
It announced a delay in the planned release of 110 Palestinian prisoners. That release now set to happen soon. Jeremy Diamond is following
developments for us from Tel Aviv. I mean honestly, Jeremy remarkable images from Khan Yunis during the hostage release. We saw Hamas and Islamic
Jihad walking through dense crowds with the hostages seeming very chaotic. What more do we know?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And behind me here at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, you had hundreds of Israelis who were
watching with dreaded anticipation as these scenes were unfolding live on a television screen before them. The image of Arbel Yahud, that 29-year-old
Israeli hostage who was taken from her home in Kibbutz near Oz on October 7th.
She seemed absolutely terrified as she was being hustled through this very raucous crowd to those awaiting Red Cross vehicles by Hamas and
Palestinians Islamic Jihad militants. They were encircling her as they were rushing her through this crowd.
[09:25:00]
But the situation was clearly very unruly, not as organized as what we saw this past Saturday, with the last release of four, I should say, Israeli
soldiers who had been taken captive on October 7th. And indeed, as you mentioned, those chaotic images drew swift condemnation from the Israeli
Prime Minister, who called these another sign of Hamas' cruelty and called on the mediators to immediately ensure that such scenes are not replicated
again in the next round of releases of Israeli hostages, which is scheduled for this Saturday.
And indeed, following that condemnation, the Israeli Prime Minister also ordering the busses carrying those Palestinian prisoners, 110 of whom were
set to be released today, to turn around and go back to -- prison, delaying their release as Israel made this clear and unmistakable protest to the
mediators about this unruly situation.
We now understand that those Palestinian prisoners will be released in the next hour. They are 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 32 who have been
sentenced to life imprisonment. But they also include people with far less severe sentences, including 30 children who will be among those who are
released, Eleni.
GIOKOS: And Jeremy a lot has transpired today, and of course, getting those hostages back absolutely pivotal for Israel. What more authorities sharing
about how the hostages are doing? They now back on Israeli soil.
DIAMOND: They are back on Israeli soil. They are all getting initial, immediate medical evaluations. It doesn't appear that any of them have any
urgent medical conditions that needed to be dealt with, but they will undergo a process of more thorough medical evaluations as they are arriving
at hospitals here in Central Israel on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
We've already seen images of the emotional reunion between Agam Berger and her parents at an Israeli military base just outside of the Gaza Strip, and
from there, she then boarded a helicopter and headed to the hospital where her four fellow field observers serving in the Israeli military alongside
her on that day, on October 7th, where they were brought to a hospital. This past Saturday, they were making signs preparing to welcome her to the
same hospital where they will spend several days before ultimately being released, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Jeremy Diamond, good to have you with us, and of course, we'll be monitoring as Israel plans to release 110 Palestinians in the next hour. We
stay on top of the story for you. Meantime, U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to serve as FBI Director is on Capitol Hill this hour for a high
stakes' confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Kash Patel is a Former Public Defender, Federal Prosecutor and a longtime Trump ally who is a fierce critic of the FBI, the same organization he's
poised to lead. Most Republicans support Patel's nomination despite his years long embrace of pro-Trump Deep State conspiracy theories and his
public vows to seek retribution against the president's political enemies. Sunlen Serfaty joins us now from Washington. Sunlen what more can you tell
us about Kash Patel's confirmation hearing? What are we expecting to learn?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We expect this, of course, to be another contentious hearing up here on Capitol Hill when he is set to appear before
the Senate Judiciary Committee in just the next few minutes. Democrats likely, as you noted, will circle in not only of his qualifications, if he
is qualified to lead the FBI.
But the fact that he has been a longtime ally, a long-time loyalist, of President Trump, questioning whether he can potentially have the FBI remain
independent from the White House. That going to be a key line of questioning. Also, his past statements about the deep state, the quote,
unquote, deep state going after Trump's perceived enemies, including the DOJ FBI and the media.
So, a lot for Democrats to question him over. As you noted, he does have broad support, it seems, at this moment from Republicans on the Committee,
but once this gets kicked out to the full Senate, that's where it's going to be a question. He can only potentially afford to lose three Republicans
and still get confirmed. So, a lot of that is on the line today with his big moment in front of the Senate Judiciary.
GIOKOS: All right, Sunlen Serfaty, we're keeping a track and watch on everything that's about to play out in that confirmation hearing. Thank you
so much for that update. And still to come, more on our top breaking news story this hour, the recovery operations and the investigation after that
deadly air collision. We will bring you the latest when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
GIOKOS: We want to return now to the tragic plane collision near Washington. Recovery operations are underway in the Potomac River after an
American Airlines commercial jets coming from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport.
These are live pictures of the ongoing rescue and recovery operations described as one of the most complex airports for pilots to approach.
Officials confirming a short time ago that all 67 passengers on both aircraft are believed dead. Reagan National Airport has been closed since
the collision. Airport officials are now planning to resume flights in less than two hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK POTTER, METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY: We can open the airport at 11 o'clock. It's safe. We've worked with all the federal
agencies, FAA, and you know, it's been determined that we can open that airport safely. The recovery effort that's on our property is on the
waterfront, our primary runway, 119 will be open.
It's away from any activity. We're going to have a secure area around that. So, all are comfortable that we can get back to operations. Now, each
airline will announce or communicate to their passengers what their operations are going to be. Obviously, their networks were disrupted
overnight.
And so, we might have a slow recovery, but the bottom line is we will begin to have aircraft moving and out of this airport at 11 o'clock.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: CNN's Rene Marsh joins us from Washington with more. And Rene at that same press conference, we heard from Sean Duffy, the Transportation
Secretary. I want you to listen to what he said about the safety of airspace in the United States, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUFFY: So, the question is, can I guarantee the American flying public that the United States has the most safe and secure airspace in the world? And
the answer to that is absolutely yes, we do. We have early indicators of what happened here, and I will tell you with complete confidence, we have
the safest airspace in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: So, Rene, there's so many questions around this. So, the airport opening up at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. People want to know if the helicopters
will still be flying. How will the flight paths be controlled to ensure safety? Tell me what you're hearing.
RENE MARSH, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. So, OK, couple of things that we're just getting in new information this from our team at the
Pentagon.
[09:35:00]
This isn't relation to this training session that was happening, or this training flight that this Black Hawk was conducting. And so according to
this, and forgive me for reading, because I'm just getting this in on my phone, the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with this passenger plane
was on an annual proficiency training flight.
That's according to new Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. He says that they are withholding the names of the three crew members who were on board
this helicopter at the time because they're waiting for notification of next of kin. He also went on to say that the pilots on board were fairly
experienced.
The crew was fairly experienced, and they were doing an annual required night valuation. They did have night vision goggles on. We know that this
unit that these crew members belong to is currently on an operational pause as this investigation is underway.
And we know that there are multiple entities investigating exactly what happened here. The Department of Defense, the army, the NTSB and the FAA
are all coordinating, and they're trying to answer the critical questions that everyone watching this have. And that is what went wrong here.
It is not abnormal to have military aircraft, police aircraft and commercial aircraft in the airspace at the same time in this Washington,
D.C. region. Obviously, what is abnormal is a mid-air collision, and so the investigation will clearly be looking into which of these aircraft may have
been in the wrong position, wrong altitude.
We do know from air traffic control audio that the pilot within the Black Hawk army helicopter gave confirmation that he saw this commercial regional
jet, and just 13 seconds after giving air traffic control that confirmation this mid-air collision occurred. So, what happened in that time?
GIOKOS: Yeah.
MARSH: And that is what investigators that is the task at hand for them.
GIOKOS: We're getting a lot more. As you say, Pete Hegseth coming out with some of these comments, and also saying, investigation will seek to
determine whether the helicopter was in the proper corridor and at the right altitude at the time of the incident that coming in to CNN a short
time ago.
MARSH: Yeah.
GIOKOS: Rene Marsh, thank you so much for that update. I want to know go now to Wichita, Kansas, where the flight originated. CNN's Ed Lavandera is
there learning more about the victims. Ed, we just had that press conference with Mayor Lily Wu. What more can you tell us about the victims?
What are you learning?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that press conference kind of captured the emotional toll that this tragedy is
taking, not just on the families in the Washington, D.C. area, but here in Wichita, Kansas. This is a flight that took off yesterday afternoon,
yesterday evening from Wichita.
It's a flight that had only been operating for about a year. But what is so emotional here at this moment is that the city here, Wichita, we're told,
kind of coming off of what had been a very jubilant weekend, the United States figure skating championship was held here over the weekend.
After that competition, a number of young skaters who are Olympic hopefuls, future possible Olympians stayed around a few extra days for special
training. And we are told from the U.S. figure skating association that there are a number of coaches, athletes and families that were on that
plane.
But right now, here in Wichita, people trying to figure out what the rest of the country is also trying to figure out is just the length of the
magnitude that this is going to have on this community. They don't know exactly who has been affected, the names of the victims. They don't know
how many people are from the Wichita, Kansas area.
Airport officials did say that there was a care team that was out at the airport last night, that there was one family that had come out, several
family members, trying to find answers in those chaotic initial hours after the plane and helicopter collided over the Potomac River.
So really not a whole lot of answers in terms of what might have caused this. But right here, right now, what this community is bracing for is just
the scope of the impact that this will have in terms of how many community members from here in Wichita, Kansas, that were that were lost in this
tragedy.
GIOKOS: Absolutely Ed, really heartbreaking story today. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much. Still to come, all eight hostages freed from Gaza today
are back on Israeli soil, but a chaotic release looked like it could throw the next stage of the deal off track.
[09:40:00]
We have the latest developments that's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: We've learned several members of the U.S. figure skating community were on board the American Airlines Flight, while Russian state media has
reported that two World Champion Russian Figure Skaters were also on board. U.S. Figure Skating releasing this statement, quote, these athletes,
coaches and family members were returning home from the National Development camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating
Championship in Wichita, Kansas.
We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation
and will release more information as it becomes available. CNN's Sports Analyst Christine Brennan has covered figure skating for almost 40 years
and told Kasie Hunt that this crash will have a big impact on the future of the sport. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Looks like it's a just having a devastating impact on the U.S. Figure Skating community. U.S. figure
skating has said several of members of the community were on the plane. I am, of course, working with my sources.
I've covered figure skating since 1988 and I talked to an Olympic coach, who told me she was just devastated, we don't yet have numbers. And of
course, we're not going to give any names out at this point. But it looks, appears to look like coaches, young skaters, family members, and it could
be quite a large number.
And for those who are wondering, you know the U.S. Nationals just happened over the weekend in Wichita, and the skaters will see at the Olympics in a
year. The Olympic Games are in winter of 2026 in Italy, just a year from now. This would not have been those skaters. This is a developmental Camp,
Kasie, that the skaters stayed after the Nationals and the National Championships ended on Sunday.
And then they were working with coaches and top skaters. So, this is U.S. Figure Skating's future. This would be the young teenagers who we would
expect to see bubble to the surface, rise up and compete, moving forward, even to the 2030 Winter Olympic Games. It is absolutely tragic what I'm
hearing the community is devastated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: In the coming minutes, we are expecting to see Israel release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 children. That release has been thrown
into doubt. A short time ago, Israel said it would delay the move, following these chaotic scenes earlier today, as Hamas freed several
hostages in Gaza.
[09:45:00]
The hostages released today, three Israelis and five Thai nationals on our back in Israel. I want to bring in Mairav Zonszein. She is a Senior Analyst
on Israel at the International Crisis Group. Mairav, great to have you with us today. And I'm sure you've seen some of these images, absolutely
chaotic.
You see Hamas members as well as Islamic Jihad trying to get hostages to safety, hand them over to the ICRC. I'm just curious in terms of what your
view is in terms of the fragility of this ceasefire. And importantly, what you think of Israel delaying the release of Palestinians, and whether we're
sitting on very fragile territory right now?
MAIRAV ZONSZEIN, SENIOR ANALYST ON ISRAEL AT THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Hi, thanks. Well, we are in fragile territory. But I think so far,
what we've seen is that both sides have an interest in continuing, and the mediators Qatar and the U.S. specifically, have been, I think, very on top
of getting things to go as smoothly as they can.
Every time you have a release. I think both sides try to show you know their power. And Hamas is clearly still intact in Gaza, and that's very
difficult for Israelis to see. But ultimately, the hostages have been returned. They are walking on their feet. An 80-year-old was released
today, and he looks much better than I think any of us would have expected.
So, I think the end result is what is important. And Israel, of course, because of the scenes and because of the chaos communicated to the
mediators, and it's been reported that they decided to delay the release of prisoners. But ultimately, the deal so far is going, I think, more smoothly
than many of us would have anticipated.
So, for now, I think that's just going to be part of the process. It's going to be harrowing at every moment. And ultimately, so far, it's been
going.
GIOKOS: In terms of Donald Trump's Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Gaza yesterday. What did you think of that? Does it hint at anything in
terms of the future intentions for the enclave, keeping in mind that Donald Trump was very clear about wanting to see Palestinians move to Jordan and
Egypt.
ZONSZEIN: Yeah. Well, I think it is significant that Trump's envoy was in Gaza. It's the first time in over 15 years that a U.S. official has been in
Gaza. Now he obviously doesn't engage with Hamas. He was a guest of Israel and the IDF, but it means that Trump is continuing to put his political
weight behind this deal.
He was also in Tel Aviv today, and he seemed to indicate to Netanyahu that he wants to see the phase two not only reached, but completed. So, I think
it's very clear that Trump is interested in seeing this deal go through that means, presumably, an end to the war and an IDF full withdrawal from
Gaza.
But what that actually means, as you said, for the people of Gaza, for Palestinians, more broadly, is unclear, and with Trump's rhetoric and the
fact that we know Trump is not somebody who's a humanitarian or interested in Palestinian livelihood in general, or in Gaza specifically, you know it
could mean a lot of things.
Now we all consider this issue of going to Jordan and Egypt dead on arrival, but he continues to talk about it. Israeli reports have said that
this is a serious thing that's being considered, so I don't know how they think it's going to be helpful or constructive. And for Palestinians, you
know, being exiled out of their land is what they've been talking about since 1948 that they see as an injustice.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ZONSZEIN: So, I won't see it as a stabilizing factor, but we'll have to wait and see. And so, it's interesting that Trump is at once committed to
the ceasefire, but the day after in Gaza, you know, Israel has very specific demands about Hamas being exiled, disarming, things that I don't
think Hamas is willing to do. So, we're going to have to see where they come out on that.
GIOKOS: OK, what -- in terms of the West Bank, which you and I have spoken about, in terms of it derailing, potentially the ceasefire hostage
agreement. What is your understanding of what the IDF's intention is in the West Bank, and they're thinking about having a permanent presence there?
How does that change the calculus?
ZONSZEIN: Well, first of all, the IDF has a permanent presence in the West Bank at all times, because it's the occupier. It's an occupying power. It
has been for over half a century, but since the ceasefire in Gaza went into effect, we've seen even more raids by the IDF -- start of a military
operation in Jenin.
Israel ostensibly wants to eradicate an uproot terror in Jenin and other places in the West Bank. Something that it's done to various degrees for
many years. But you know, it's important for the audience to understand that the minute that the ceasefire went into effect, Israel really set the
West Bank on fire.
[09:50:00]
Trump lifted sanctions from settlers the defense minister in Israel released settlers that were in detention, and so it's been a lot more
volatile than it already was. And that's, again -- that's not in the interest of Israeli security or Palestinians security and livelihood. So, I
don't know if it's going to derail the ceasefire.
But it's certainly a kind of quid pro quo within Israel, where the -- I think Nathan Yao and the far right are basically saying we're going to have
to stop for now in Gaza, but we're going to ramp things up in the West Bank and show Palestinians that we're still very much in charge.
But unfortunately, Israel has so many times done these operations, and they only seem to recruit and raise the popularity of Hamas and of these types
of operations, because ultimately, these are people who are under occupation. So, I don't think it's going to just go away.
GIOKOS: Mairav Zonszein, thank you so much good to have you on. Well, turning now to Syria, which has just officially named its new leader, the
Head of the HTS militant group that overthrew the Assad regime. Ahmad al- Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, will be president for a transitional period.
Since Assad's ouster in December, Al-Sharaa has become the face of the new Syrian government, meeting with world leaders and prominent Syrians almost
daily. Right. We're going to very short break. We'll be right back. Stay on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: The latest now on the deadly mid-air collision between a passenger plane and an army helicopter in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night.
Officials on the scene there now saying the search for any survivors is over. It is now a recovery operation. It means there are likely no
survivors among the 64 people who are on board the American Airlines plane.
The three soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter, are also all presumed dead. Here's what one eyewitness says he saw Wednesday night when they
collided.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI SCHULMAN, WITNESS: I looked back again just to see if I could maybe see it land. And this was three seconds later, and at that point it was banked
all the way to the right, I would say maybe past the right past 90 degrees. I could see the underside of it. It was lit up a very bright yellow, and
there was a stream of sparks underneath it. It looked like a Roman candle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[09:55:00]
GIOKOS: The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation to what happened. The FAA and the U.S. army will also conduct
their own investigations. Also developing this our President, Donald Trump, is facing yet another test of his power and influence in U.S. politics.
Three of his most controversial nominees have confirmation hearings before the Senate today. Next hour, Robert Kennedy Jr. will face his second
committee in his quest to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and Kash Patel, Mr. Trump's nominee for FBI Director and Tulsi
Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, are facing their first panels today.
Opening statements in the Patel hearing are happening right now, CNN is monitoring. And we'll bring you the key moments of that event as they
happen. We're going to a very short break. The second hour of "Connect the World" begins after this. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
