What we know so far
An American Airlines flight operated by PSA has collided with a military helicopter as it was approaching Reagan Washington national airport, the federal aviation administration has confirmed. Here’s what we know so far:
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The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when it collided with the Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, American Airlines confirmed. It had departed from Wichita, Kansas.
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The helicopter was carrying three soldiers, multiple news outlets reported, citing US defence officials. They said no senior army officials were onboard.
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All takeoffs and landings were halted at the airport as the rescue operation got underway.
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Dozens of firefighters were “engaged in dive operations” on the Potomac River, Edward Kelly, the general president of the international association of firefighters, said. Ambulances and other rescue workers including from the military, the park police and the DC metropolitan police department also rushed to the scene.
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President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “terrible accident” and praising the “incredible work” done by emergency services.
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US senator Ted Cruz said “we know there are fatalities” from the plane and helicopter collision, although he did not say where he had got his information from and there are no confirmed casualties as yet.
Key events
The two aircraft involved in the mid-air crash above Washington DC, as compiled by Reuters.
UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is one of the most ubiquitous and iconic military helicopters, filling multiple roles for the US military, including air assault, general support, medevac, command and control, and special operations support.
The aircraft involved in the crash was flying with the call sign PAT25 and had three occupants, according to the Aviation Safety Network, a public database of aviation accidents. More than 5,000 Black Hawks have been built since production began in the mid-1970s.
Bombardier CRJ700
The Bombardier CRJ700, which can seat about 70 people, is a workhorse of regional commercial aviation. There are about 260 of the aircraft in service, according to Cirium, an aviation data company.
The plane in the 29 January crash was registered N530EA and manufactured in 2010, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members onboard, American Airlines said. The jet was registered to American Airlines but operated by its wholly owned subsidiary, PSA Airlines.
The crash is serving as a major test for two of the Trump administration’s newest agency leaders, writes Associated Press.
Pete Hegseth, sworn in days ago as defense secretary, posted on social media that an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the army and the defense department.
Transportation secretary Sean Duffy, just sworn in earlier this week, said at a sombre news conference at the airport early on Thursday that his agency would provide all possible resources to the investigation.
Reagan Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. The FAA has previously said it would be closed until 5 a.m. Friday.
Officials who held a press conference at Reagan National Airport did not announce any deaths, but they all had a sombre tone, writes AFP.
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said “when one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser would not say whether any bodies were recovered from the crash.
“I can’t say anything about the rescue operation right now,” she said, as reporters continued to press for updates on the passengers.
She also declined to comment on the condition of aircraft, which remains submerged in the Potomac River.
Asked if there are any survivors, Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly, responded: “We don’t know yet. But we’re working.”
There are currently about 300 responders working on the rescue operation.
Donnelly said that conditions are “extremely rough for responders,” with cold weather and intense wind.
The Potomac River is about 8 feet deep where the aircraft crashed after their collision.
“The water is dark. It is murky,” Connelly said.
300 emergency responders searching waters after collision
Speaking at a news conference, DC fire chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said that 300 emergency responders are searching the waters after a passenger plane collided with a US army helicopter.
“At 8.58 (pm), the first units arrived on the scene and found an aircraft in the water and began rescue operations. This incident has grown,” he said.
Crash is ‘heartbreaking’, says Alexandria mayor
Alexandria mayor Alyia Gaskins has described the crash as “heartbreaking”, according to the Washington Post.
Her Northern Virginia city is south of Reagan National Airport.
“We were devastated to learn of a tragic aviation incident near DCA,” she said in a statement, referring to the airport’s code, DCA. “Our hearts and prayers are with everyone affected.”
Search and rescue operations on the Potomac River
President Trump says crash ‘should have been prevented’
President Donald Trump said the crash between a US Army helicopter and a passenger jet near Washington “should have been prevented.”
“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding: “NOT GOOD!!!”
American Airlines CEO statement regarding Flight 5342
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom has released a statement on the collision.
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts,” he said, providing a toll free numbers for relatives who believe they may have lost ones one on board the flight.
‘There was a lot of sadness,’ a view from the terminal
Erie county executive Mark Poloncarz was waiting to catch his flight back to Buffalo, New York, when he saw through the terminal window some emergency vehicles moving out below, the Associated Press reports.
“It didn’t seem anything too strange at that point,” Poloncarz told the news agency. “And then about a minute or so after that, there was an announcement of a full-ground stop, that there would be no flights landing and no flights taking off. And then we started to see a lot of emergency vehicles heading towards the river.”
Poloncarz and others soon saw reports on social media of a plane crash, while rumours began to swirl.
“When flights get delayed, people get aggravated and upset. But there was no one getting aggravated or upset because I think we all realized pretty quickly the magnitude of what occurred.”
“The terminal grew pretty quiet. There was a lot of sadness.”
If you are just tuning into this story, here is our full report on what we know so far.
An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members has crashed after a midair collision with a US army Black Hawk helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan national airport near Washington DC, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the Potomac river.
The Washington Post said multiple bodies had been pulled from the water. NBC reported that four people had been pulled alive from the Potomac.
All takeoffs and landings from the airport near the capital were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, a US official said.
President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident” and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.”
