Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said he caught a flight out of Ronald Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area, shortly before a passenger jet headed to the airport collided mid-air with an Army helicopter, killing everyone aboard both aircraft.

Mike Bouchard, who spoke to WDIV-TV (Channel 4), said even though he is in a profession that sees its share of tragedy, the airplane deaths were chilling to him. He added that "every day is a blessing." A list of who was on board the plane and chopper had not yet been released.