The incident took place around 9 pm EST on Wednesday (7.30 am IST on Thursday) when the American Airlines jet collided with a military helicopter while on approach to the airport runway. The American Eagle flight 5342 had departed from Wichita, Kansas and was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members on board. The US Army has said that its H-60 Black Hawk helicopter was operating out of Virginia's Fort Belvoir, which houses several command headquarters. The chopper was on a training flight, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and had three crew members on board.

Are there casualties?

Citing a police official, CBS News reported that 18 bodies have been recovered so far. There is little hope for any survivors, CNN quoted law enforcement officers as saying. The American Airlines jet is submerged in the Potomac River, which is about eight feet deep. With temperatures expected to fall below freezing, any survivors trapped in the water are at risk of hypothermia. The Army is yet to confirm the fate of the three crew members on board the Black Hawk helicopter. Officials offered little information on the death toll or survivors at a press briefing held later in the night. Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the US plane crash.

What is the latest on search and rescue efforts?

A massive emergency response has been launched at the Potomac River. Meanwhile, the Ronald Reagan National Airport has halted all takeoffs and landings with workers engaged in the rescue efforts. At least 300 first responders from multiple agencies, including workers from across Virginia and Maryland, are at the scene. First responders set up light towers at the shore to illuminate the area, while inflatable rescue boats were launched into the river, news agency AP reported. Challenges to rescue operations: John A Donnelly, Chief of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said that cold weather and intense winds have made rescue efforts difficult. He added that the Potomac waters were dark and murky, adding to the challenges.

'Bad situation... should have been prevented': Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that the collision "should have been prevented". In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn." "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. NOT GOOD!!!" he added. Earlier, in a statement issued by the White House, Trump said that he had been briefed about the incident and that he was monitoring the situation.

Crash spotlights aviation safety concerns in the US

The crash has renewed debate over aviation safety in the US. A 2023 New York Times investigation had shed light on a string of close calls involving airlines. The publication reviewed internal records of the FAA and NASA and found that these incidents were often a result of human errors. It also flagged that air traffic controllers in the country were stretched thin due to staff shortages.

What to know of the American Airlines jet and Black Hawk chopper

The plane was a Bombardier CRJ700 jet being operated by PSA Airlines, a regional arm of the American Airlines Group. According to the Wall Street Journal, the jet is popular for regional flights. It's a small single-aisle plane that can seat up to 78 passengers. American Airlines has said that the plane involved in the crash had a seating capacity of 65 people. Meanwhile, the H-60 Black Hawk chopper was built by Sikorsky, an American aircraft manufacturer owned by Lockheed Martin, a defence and aerospace manufacturing company. According to the firm, the Black Hawk chopper can carry up to 12 troops and their equipment, weighing up to 9,000 pounds.

What caused the plane crash?

While the flight crashed after it collided with the military chopper, the exact cause of the mid-air collision is yet to be ascertained. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to investigate the incident.

DC Plane Crash Update: American Airlines plane, US Army chopper collide near Washington DC

Washington DC Plane Crash Latest Update: An American Airlines passenger plane and a US Army helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a mid-air collision near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport late on Wednesday night (local time).

Several casualties are feared. While the exact figures remained unclear, CBS News reported that as many as 18 bodies have been recovered so far. Multiple agencies are engaged in search and rescue operations, hindered by cold weather. The airport, situated in Virginia and the closest to the national capital Washington DC, has halted all operations till 11 am EST (9.30 pm IST) on Thursday.

What happened and what is the situation now? Here’s what we know so far.

01
What happened?
The incident took place around 9 pm EST on Wednesday (7.30 am IST on Thursday) when the American Airlines jet collided with a military helicopter while on approach to the airport runway.

The American Eagle flight 5342 had departed from Wichita, Kansas and was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members on board.

The US Army has said that its H-60 Black Hawk helicopter was operating out of Virginia's Fort Belvoir, which houses several command headquarters. The chopper was on a training flight, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and had three crew members on board.
02
Are there casualties?
Citing a police official, CBS News reported that 18 bodies have been recovered so far. There is little hope for any survivors, CNN quoted law enforcement officers as saying.

The American Airlines jet is submerged in the Potomac River, which is about eight feet deep. With temperatures expected to fall below freezing, any survivors trapped in the water are at risk of hypothermia.

The Army is yet to confirm the fate of the three crew members on board the Black Hawk helicopter. Officials offered little information on the death toll or survivors at a press briefing held later in the night.

Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the US plane crash.
03
What is the latest on search and rescue efforts?
A massive emergency response has been launched at the Potomac River. Meanwhile, the Ronald Reagan National Airport has halted all takeoffs and landings with workers engaged in the rescue efforts.

At least 300 first responders from multiple agencies, including workers from across Virginia and Maryland, are at the scene. First responders set up light towers at the shore to illuminate the area, while inflatable rescue boats were launched into the river, news agency AP reported.

Challenges to rescue operations: John A Donnelly, Chief of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said that cold weather and intense winds have made rescue efforts difficult. He added that the Potomac waters were dark and murky, adding to the challenges.
04
'Bad situation... should have been prevented': Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has said that the collision "should have been prevented".

In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn."

"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. NOT GOOD!!!" he added.

Earlier, in a statement issued by the White House, Trump said that he had been briefed about the incident and that he was monitoring the situation.
05
Crash spotlights aviation safety concerns in the US
The crash has renewed debate over aviation safety in the US. A 2023 New York Times investigation had shed light on a string of close calls involving airlines.

The publication reviewed internal records of the FAA and NASA and found that these incidents were often a result of human errors. It also flagged that air traffic controllers in the country were stretched thin due to staff shortages.
06
What to know of the American Airlines jet and Black Hawk chopper
The plane was a Bombardier CRJ700 jet being operated by PSA Airlines, a regional arm of the American Airlines Group.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the jet is popular for regional flights. It's a small single-aisle plane that can seat up to 78 passengers. American Airlines has said that the plane involved in the crash had a seating capacity of 65 people.

Meanwhile, the H-60 Black Hawk chopper was built by Sikorsky, an American aircraft manufacturer owned by Lockheed Martin, a defence and aerospace manufacturing company. According to the firm, the Black Hawk chopper can carry up to 12 troops and their equipment, weighing up to 9,000 pounds.
07
What caused the plane crash?
While the flight crashed after it collided with the military chopper, the exact cause of the mid-air collision is yet to be ascertained.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to investigate the incident.