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Boats work on the scene on the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 29, 2025. /VCG
An American Airlines regional passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on a nighttime training exercises crashed into the Potomac River after a midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials said.
American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were on board the plane, including 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter, a U.S. official said.
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."
At least 18 bodies have been recovered after the midair collision, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing a police official.
A massive search and rescue operation was in progress, with divers visible as they plunged into the snow-lined Potomac.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a statement that he has been "fully briefed on the terrible accident" and that he is "monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on the social platform X that the Pentagon is "actively monitoring" the situation and is "poised to assist if needed."
US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said on X the collision was "nothing short of a nightmare."
American Airlines' CEO issued a video statement in which he expressed "deep sorrow."
Rescue teams gather to respond to an airplane crash in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 29, 2025. /VCG
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan National, and Washington's police said on X that "multiple agencies" are responding to the crash site in the Potomac.
Kristi Noem, the country's new secretary of homeland security, posted on X that she is "deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA."
Police said fire boats had joined the operation on the river, where any work was complicated by the fact it was dark and close to freezing. Dozens of fire trucks headed toward the airport.
Questions were expected to focus on how a passenger plane with modern collision-avoidance technology and nearby traffic controllers could collide with a military aircraft over the nation's capital.
The airspace around Washington is often crowded, with planes coming in low over the city to land at Reagan airport and helicopters – military, civilian and carrying senior politicians – buzzing about both day and night.
The same airport was the scene of a deadly crash in January 1982 when Air Florida flight 90, a Boeing 737, took off but quickly plummeted, hitting the 14th Street bridge and crashing through the ice into the Potomac River killing 78 people.
Investigators concluded the pilot had failed to activate sufficient de-icing procedures.
The last major fatal U.S. crash was in 2009, when Continental Flight 3407 from New Jersey to Buffalo, New York crashed and killed all 49 people aboard.
(With input from agencies)