American Airlines jet collides with Army Black Hawk near Reagan Airport

By Helen Regan, Taylor Romine, Dalia Faheid, Jamiel Lynch, Amir Vera, Hanna Park and Karina Tsui, CNN, Jan.30: A passenger aircraft carrying 64 people collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, DC, as it approached the runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and defense officials.

There are no confirmed casualties at this time, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. A massive emergency response is underway in DC’s Potomac River, where the passenger plane and helicopter collided.

The plane, American Airlines Flight 5342 with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, had departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to the airline. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter that came out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, according to a US defense official.

All takeoffs and landings have been halted at Reagan National Airport.