American Eagle plane, a subsidiary of American Airlines, with 64 passengers crashed en route to Washington.
American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) collided in the air with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington.
The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 jet collided in the air with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while approaching landing at Reagan Airport in Washington around 9:00 PM local time. The plane carried 60 passengers and 4 crew members.
American Eagle stated: 'We are worried for passengers and crew on board. We are in contact with authorities and assisting in the emergency and rescue efforts.'
According to Reagan Airport: 'Around 9:00 PM on Wednesday night, Reagan National Airport emergency teams were called to a plane crash, identified by the FAA as American Eagle Flight 5342, with a Sikorsky helicopter.'
American Airlines CEO, Robert Isom, released a statement with details of the accident, expressing his sorrow over the dramatic crash.
The FAA reported many bodies recovered from the river by police and rescue teams, but no official number of casualties has been released. Additionally, as a result of the incident, Ronald Reagan Airport closed for departures and landing, with large number of flights diverted to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI).
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated a comprehensive investigation, led by the NTSB. Officials confirmed that the collision occurred in one of the most sensitive and complicated aviation areas in the USA, near important sites like the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon.
Photo: ShutterstockThe accident brought up concerns about safety at Ronald Reagan Airport, which has experienced several significant near-miss incidents between commercial and private planes over the past year.
Officials and lawmakers have previously warned that airport traffic congestion and operational limitations could lead to a catastrophic disaster. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to release further updates as the investigation progresses.