In maps and graphics: See what happened in DC plane crash with helicopter
Rescue officials say there are no survivors after a commercial passenger jet attempting to land at a Washington, D.C., airport collided in midair with a U.S. Army helicopter, sending both aircraft into the icy Potomac River shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday.
A total of 67 people were on the two aircraft. At least 27 bodies from the plane and one from the helicopter have been recovered, Washington D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said.
"We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident," Donnelly said.
American Airlines Flight No. 5342 carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas, was landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with an Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers on board.
Cause of the collision is still unknown. Investigators are searching the aircraft wreckage.
Video of plane and helicopter crash in Washington, D.C.
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Officials did not say what led to the collision, but noted that both the helicopter and the plane were following standard flight patterns.
Wind and freezing water are hampering search efforts of at least 300 responders, including divers working in water 8 feet deep. Water temperatures were between 33 to 36 degrees near the crash site, posing a high risk of hypothermia for survivors and first responders, Paste BN reported.
What air traffic controllers said to pilots before DC plane crash
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Jet passengers included a number of figure skaters returning from Wichita, which hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this month.
U.S. Figure Skating, the sport's governing body in the U.S., told Paste BN that "several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342."
Two world-champion Russian figure skaters were also aboard the plane, CNN reported.
Timeline of Washington plane crash
Based on news reports; all times are Eastern and approximate
◾ 6:18 p.m.: Flight 5342 departs Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita.
◾ 8:45 p.m.: Flight 5342 approaches Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia.
◾ 8:46 p.m.: Air traffic controllers ask Flight 5342 to land on Runway 33. Pilots acknowledge.
◾ 8:47 p.m.: Air traffic controllers attempt to contact the helicopter pilot seconds before the two aircraft collide.
◾ 8:48 p.m.: Control tower sounds alarm to alert responders to crash.
◾ 8:53 p.m.: Washington Metro police receive calls about the crash.
◾ 9:30 p.m.: FAA and law enforcement confirm aircraft collision and crash.
◾ 10:30 p.m.: National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrive on scene.
◾ 11:30 p.m.: At least 18 bodies reported recovered.
The weather was clear. The jet was flying at an altitude of nearly 400 feet at a speed of 140 miles per hour. It was discovered upside down in several pieces in the water. The submerged helicopter, upside-down, was found nearby.
Flight path of American Airlines Flight 5342
What aircraft were involved in the crash?
The passenger jet is a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-700 series twin-engine jet capable of carrying up to 78 passengers, depending on configuration. It's operated by the regional airline PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines.
The Black Hawk helicopter, based out of the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir in Virginia, was on a training flight, CBS News reported. Fort Belvoir is about 12 miles from Reagan National Airport, located in Arlington, Virginia, about 5 miles southwest of the U.S. Capitol. No senior officials were reported on board.
The helicopter took off from Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, according to Ron McLendon II, deputy public affairs director of the Army's Military District of Washington.
Who is investigating the crash?
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The NTSB is leading the investigation, according to a statement from the FAA obtained by Paste BN.
The Army and Department of Defense "immediately" opened an investigation into the crash, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X early Thursday morning.
Reagan airport was closed for flights until at least 11 a.m. Thursday, Paste BN reported. The airport halted all takeoffs and landings after the collision and rerouted aircraft to Washington Dulles International Airport.
American Airlines asked those who believe they may have loved ones on board AA flight 5342 to call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.
SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; Federal Aviation Administration; National Transportation Safety Board
This story was updated to add new information.