Reuters
Emergency service vehicles stand near the site of the crash after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed in the Potomac River, outside Washington, U.S [Source: Reuters]
An American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials said.
The Washington Post, citing sources, said multiple bodies had been pulled from the water. No survivors had so far been found, the newspaper reported. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said on social media that “we know there are fatalities,” though he did not say how many.
American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were aboard the jet – including 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, a U.S. official said.
Some friends, family and relatives of passengers gathered at Reagan Washington National seeking more information.
One woman told an airport official, “I don’t know if she got on there or not,” in apparent reference to a passenger on the crashed jet. She then collapsed in tears.
The U.S. Army said in a statement that it could “confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available.”
