American Airlines jet with 64 aboard collides with Army helicopter at Reagan Airport near DC

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.

UPDATE:

The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian figure skaters, as well as other Russian nationals, were on the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, DC.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters Thursday that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were aboard the plane.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.

Hundreds of rescuers are now searching the frigid waters of the Potomac River for any survivors of the plane crash. Images showed boats around a partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage.

Helicopters flew overhead with powerful search lights scanning the murky waters. Emergency vehicles lit up the banks of the Potomac in a long line of blinking red lights. The water temperature was just above freezing.

ORIGINAL:

There was no immediate word on casualties, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington have been halted.

The jet had 60 passengers and 4 crew on board when the collisions happened, American Airlines says.

Here’s the latest:

President Donald Trump says he’s been briefed on the ‘terrible accident’ at Reagan National Airport.

In a statement late Wednesday, Trump thanked first responders for their “incredible work,” noting that he was “monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”

“May God Bless their souls,” he added

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she would be deploying all available resources from the U.S. Coast Guard for search and rescue efforts.

“We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders,” Noem said in a post on X.

Reagan Washington National is located along the Potomac River, just southwest of the city. It’s a popular choice because it’s much closer than the larger Dulles International Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.

Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan can offer passengers spectacular views of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It’s a postcard-worthy welcome for tourists visiting the city.

American Airlines flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder.

The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet was manufactured in 2004 and can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump has been briefed on the crash.

In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, “PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight,” in reference to the passenger aircraft.

“Tower, did you see that?” another pilot is heard calling seconds after the apparent collision.”

The tower immediately began diverting other aircraft from Reagan.