Photo:VCG
A US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into Washington DC's Potomac River after colliding midair with a military helicopter on a nighttime training exercise Wednesday.
At least 18 bodies were recovered Wednesday night, CBS reported, as the search for survivors from the crash of a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter continued.
The law enforcement and emergency sources said the American Airlines regional jet broke into two pieces after colliding with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, roughly in seven feet of near-freezing water, raising concerns about survivability of those onboard, according to NBC News.
"We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight's incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir during a training flight. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available," a US military spokesperson said in a statement.
There are no officially confirmed casualties. A massive emergency response is underway in Potomac River, where the passenger plane and helicopter collided.
The plane, American Airlines Flight 5342, had 60 passengers and 4 crew members on board and had departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to the airline. The White House confirmed a military helicopter was involved in the incident.
All takeoffs and landings have been halted at Reagan National Airport.
"I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport," Trump said in a statement. "I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise."
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Department of Defense is monitoring developments after the collision, CNN reported.
"DoD actively monitoring. Poised to assist if needed. Prayers for all involved," Hegseth said in a post on X.
Fatalities have been confirmed and rescuers have not yet pulled any survivors from the water, a law enforcement source says, as CNN reported. The rescue efforts continue in the Washington, DC, area following the crash. The source says the plane is in pieces in the water and the helicopter is in the water nearby.
One or both of the aircraft may be in the Potomac River, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, the NBC News reported.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that he is at FAA headquarters and is monitoring the situation.
There is no indication of any criminality or terrorism in the crash, a senior FBI official with the Washington field office said. The FBI is standing by to assist, the official said.
Maryland State Police have deployed divers to the scene of the plane-helicopter crash in the Potomac River, Maryland governor Wes Moore said Wednesday night. Moore said the Maryland Department of Emergency Management has raised its Emergency Operations Center to "Enhanced" status in support. Dozens of firefighters are engaged in dive operations at the site of the plane crash in the Potomac River, according to a union official, CNN reported.