SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard returned home from a trip to Washington around the time federal authorities say a regional jet collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter near the same airport he flew out of on Wednesday.
Bouchard left Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, just one hour before midair crash. He was in Washington for a Major County Sheriffs of America meeting.
Watch our report with Sheriff Michael Bouchard in the video player below:
Officials say the American Airlines regional jet originating from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 64 people on board. CNN reported that three people were on the Army helicopter that came out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
There was no word of casualties Wednesday night. A massive search and rescue operation including divers in the Potomac River was underway.
Bouchard joined 7 News Detroit live Wednesday night over the phone.
“Well obviously, it’s a shock to everybody. I mean usually, you don’t see a lot of midair collisions and so there’s gonna be a lot of fact finding to figure this out,” Bouchard said. “I know in our helicopters, our police helicopters in Oakland County, when I’ve been in them, it will actually give you an audible (saying) ‘collision, collision, collision.’ It actually starts talking to you if it tracks that there is some anticipatory path that it sees as a collision.”
Video shows officials at the airport
Experts have said the crash should never have happened because warnings go out telling a pilot to rise when needed.
“You got... families potentially just had their lives completely turned upside down,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard said he saw a lot of air traffic and weather conditions were windy and icy.
“It’s terrible, especially when you think typically a midair collision is not of a high likelihood of survivors. So again, you’re going to have devastated friends and family all across the country from this tragedy,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard says authorities will be investigating what went wrong.
“I’m in a business where we see terrible tragedy and loss of life, but it’s a reminder how close we all are to that instance that we don’t know what’s coming,” Bouchard said. “Having flown out just before that from that very same airport, it’s chilling even to me to live in the world of tragedy.”
