Dozens are feared dead after a regional American Airlines flight, operated by PSA Airlines, collided with an Army helicopter in midair on Wednesday night when it was about to land at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Some 300 responders have been deployed to the nearby Potomac River, where the crash occurred, to locate survivors, according to local officials. There has been no official announcement of the number of casualties, though an unnamed law enforcement source reportedly told CBS News that at least 19 bodies have been recovered so far.
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The commercial jet had 64 people aboard, while the Army helicopter had three people on board, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press conference early Thursday morning.
The collision happened in one of the most monitored airspaces in the U.S., with its proximity to the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and other important government buildings. The cause of the collision remains unknown, and an investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board is underway.
Wednesday evening’s incident is the U.S.’ first major commercial aviation incident in 16 years, following the Buffalo crash in 2009, which killed 49 aboard Colgan Air flight 3407 and one on the ground.
Flights in Reagan Airport have since been grounded, and are expected to resume on 11 a.m. Thursday at the earliest, according to an announcement.
Here’s what we know so far:
What happened?
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a regional jet operated by PSA Airlines—a subsidiary of American Airlines—had departed from Wichita, Kans. and collided in midair with a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Airport’s Runway 33 at around 9 p.m. ET.
Video of the supposed collision captured by an observation camera circulated on social media—showing two lit-up elements in the sky converging before exploding into a fireball.
Air traffic controller audio TIME retrieved from LiveATC.net revealed what happened moments before the collision. The tower had cleared the plane for landing on Runway 33, but just seconds before the crash, an air traffic operator asked the helicopter—with radio call sign PAT 25—if the commercial jet—referred to as the CRJ—was in sight.
“PAT 2-5 do you have the CRJ in sight?” the air traffic operator said to the helicopter. After a brief pause, he said, “PAT 2-5 pass behind the CRJ.”
Seconds later, gasps and a loud “Oooh!” could be heard. Then: “Tower, did you see that?”
Later, in the transmission feed, someone from the tower then said: “I don’t know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach in the 3-3. We are going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future if you want to go back to the gate. Highly suggest you guys coordinate with the company. Let me know what you want to do.”
Who was on board the helicopter?
A U.S. Army spokesperson confirmed to TIME that the helicopter had flown out of Fort Belvoir, an Army base in Virginia.
According to a U.S. defense official speaking to CNN, the helicopter had a crew of three and was not carrying any VIPs. Joint Task Force-National Capitol Region media chief Heather Chairez told CBS News that the helicopter was on a training flight and had belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion.
Who was on the passenger jet?
American Airlines told TIME there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board American Eagle flight 5342, and that they are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former world champions in pairs figure skating who have since become coaches, were aboard the plane.
The U.S. Figure Skating organization told NBC News early Thursday morning that several athletes, coaches, and family members were also on board, returning from a camp held alongside the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the organization said.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), a union of over 50,000 flight attendants across 20 airlines, said in a statement that two of its members were working in the flight. “We ask the public to keep the families in your thoughts and respect efforts to get information to loved ones first as everyone clings to hope for survivors,” the statement read.
What do we know about the passenger jet?
According to the AP, Flight 5342 was flying to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 ft. and about 140 m.p.h. when it lost altitude rapidly over the Potomac River, citing data from the plane’s radio transponder. The transponder then stopped transmitting about 2,400 ft. away from the runway, approximately in the middle of the river.
Flight 5342 used a CRJ700 plane from Canadian aircraft manufacturing company Bombardier. PSA Airlines began operating CRJ700 flights in 2002. The plane has a capacity of 65 seats.
What is the status of the search and rescue efforts?
In the early Thursday briefing, John Donnelly, chief of DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said he expects that search-and-rescue operations will go on for days as weather conditions “are extremely rough” and “dangerous” for the responders. “It’s cold,” he said. “They’re dealing with relatively windy conditions.” The U.S. Geological Survey logged that the water in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. was around 34°F around the time of the crash, and has since gone down to 32°F as search and rescue operations continue.
Donnelly explained that divers were having difficulty because the Potomac River is not lit and has “dark” and “murky” waters.
What have U.S. officials said about the collision?
President Donald Trump was “fully briefed” on Wednesday night following the collision between the passenger jet and Army helicopter. He thanked first responders in a statement, but later posted on his Truth Social account that the incident was a “bad situation” that “looks like it should have been prevented.”
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, who was just confirmed Tuesday, said he had spoken with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as the governors of Kansas and Virginia. “We are going to offer full support to those on the ground, to the Mayor, but also to the NTSB, who is going to be conducting [an] investigation in this matter,” Duffy said in the press briefing.
Also in the briefing was Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), who said, “I know that flight. I’ve flown it
many times myself. I lobbied American Airlines to begin having a direct non-stop flight service to DCA.” He said the crash was a “very personal circumstance,” as in Kansas and particularly in Wichita, “we’re going to know people who are on this flight—know their family members, know somebody.”
Mayor Bowser, speaking at the briefing, said she is “extremely sorry” for the families who are experiencing loss: “My sorrow for all of the people and crew on the plane and our military personnel on the helicopter is very deep.” Bowser added: “We are going to recover our fellow citizens.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vice President J.D. Vance encouraged people to say a prayer for those involved in the midair collision. “We’re monitoring the situation, but for now let’s hope for the best,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, in his statement, said he was “saddened to learn about the horrific tragedy” at Reagan National Airport, and sought for everyone’s prayers.
Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said she was aware of the crash, and that her thoughts “go out to those involved.”