Officials believe there are “no survivors” after a plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided mid-air with a US Army helicopter over Washington DC.
The American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into the Potomac River following the collision as it approached Reagan Washington National Airport around 9pm local time on Wednesday (2am Thursday GMT). Three soldiers were on board the helicopter, an Army official said.
In an update on Thursday, officials said they believe there were “no survivors”. Twenty seven bodies from the plane and one person from the helicopter have so far been recovered from the water.
US Figure Skating confirmed that members of its skating community were on board. A recovery operation is under way.
Donald Trump has drawn criticism after suggesting at a press conference that diversity initiatives were to blame for the tragedy.
He also questioned the actions of the army helicopter pilot and air traffic controller in the lead up to the crash- but confirmed the cause of the crash is still unknown and under investigation.
Follow the latest updates below.
Key Points
- Officials believe there are "no survivors" as 28 bodies have so far been recovered
- Read: Everything we know so far after horror mid-air collision as details of victims emerge
- A passenger plane and a military helicopter have crashed into the Potomac River in Washington DC after colliding in mid-air
- American Airlines have said 64 people were on board the plane, while three soldiers were in the helicopter
- Watch: Video shows horrifying moment of collision caught on CCTV
- President Trump says crash "should have been prevented"
- Married world champion Russian figure skaters, Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on board the American Airlines flight
- "Highly-complex" rescue operation underway involving 300 responders in inflatable boats and helicopters
- Citywide vigil to be held in Wichita following "enormous tragedy"
Live coverage ends
22:25 , Jacob PhillipsThe Evening Standard’s Live coverage has ended.
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Passenger on flight sent husband text minutes before crash
21:43 , Jacob PhillipsRaza, 26, sent a text to her husband, Hamaad, from the doomed flight as they approached Washington, saying she would land in about 20 minutes.
Hamaad Raza, 25, who was waiting at the airport for her arrival, never received another message, his father, Hashim Raza, told Reuters.
"Asra was everything to us," Hashim Raza, holding back tears with a quavering voice, said in a telephone interview as he traveled from Missouri to Washington to meet his son. "And now my son is a widower at 25. What do I say to him? They planned to have children, they were so much looking forward to that."
The couple met at Indiana University Bloomington, where she studied corporate finance and was a straight-A college student.
Hashim Raza said when his son first met Asra, he declared, "I'm going to marry her."
Asra Hussain Raza later earned her master's degree in public health from Columbia University and got a job with a consulting group in Washington, with the ultimate goal of working for the government to improve public health, her father-in-law said.
"All she wanted to do was help people, and DC, she thought, was the place to achieve her goals," Raza said. "And she was such a great cook - Indian, Italian, Chinese food. I told her to open a restaurant."
There may be more than one black box, investigators say
20:19 , Jacob PhillipsThe National Security Transportation Board (NSTB) has said that there may be more than one black box from the crash.
Todd Inman from the NSTB explained that the army helicopter will possibly be equipped with some form of recording device.
He later told the briefing that there was nothing to indicate that slides had been deployed in the crash.
No black box found yet, investigators tell news conference
20:11 , Jacob PhillipsThe National Security Transportation Board (NSTB) has told a briefing that they have not found a flight data recorder or “black box” yet.
Officials explained that the NSTB plans to have a preliminary report within 30 days.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told a press conference on Thursday that she had briefed US President Donald Trump earlier on Thursday.
Ms Homendy also said the agency had almost 50 people on the scene but added that she was not able to give initial details of why the jet crashed with a US Army helicopter.
Investigators 'to leave no stone unturned'
20:01 , Matt WattsThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), that is investigating the accident, is giving a news conference on the Washington DC crash.
Jennifer Homendy, the chairwoman of the NTSB vowed to "leave no stone unturned" in their probe.
She called their probe an "all hands on deck" event.
Recap: Donald Trump has created 'culture of fear' says aviation expert
19:59 , Jacob PhillipsDonald Trump has created a “culture of fear” by coming to conclusions about what happened when a passenger plane crashed into a helicopter mid-air in Washington DC, an aviation expert has said.
The US President questioned the actions of an army helicopter pilot and air traffic controller ahead of the deadly collision before speculating that Democrats and diversity initiatives shared blame for the deaths of 67 people.
As Trump spoke at a news conference hours after the collision, a federal investigation into the crash was just getting started and first responders were still working to recover bodies from the wreckage of the vehicles that crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.
Graham Braithwaite, a professor of safety and accident investigation at the University of Cranfield, insisted the focus should be on the human tragedy of the crash but Trump turned his news conference at the White House “into a political exercise”.
You can read more about what Mr Braithwaite said here.
Air traffic control at Ronald Reagan National Airport was short-staffed
19:45 , Jacob PhillipsStaffing at the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to a preliminary safety report.
The New York Times reports that a Federal Aviation Administration safety report said the controller at the airport who was handling helicopters in the airport’s vicinity was also instructing planes that were landing and departing.
The jobs are usually assigned to two controllers, rather than one.
Controllers often use different radio frequencies to communicate with pilots flying planes and pilots flying helicopters, according to the New York Times.
While the controller is communicating with the pilots of the helicopter and the jet, the two sets of pilots may not be able to hear each other.
The tower at Reagan airport has been reportedly understaffed for years.
The tower was nearly a third below targeted staff levels, with 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023.
Pilots describe tight airspace around Washington airport
19:01 , Jacob PhillipsUS commercial pilot Rick Redfern was preparing to land at Reagan Washington National Airport a decade ago when he spotted a Coast Guard helicopter hovering about 50 feet off the Potomac River.
Air traffic control promptly warned the helicopter pilot to stay clear, averting a potential disaster.
A collision on Wednesday night between a Black Hawk military helicopter and an American Eagle CRJ 700 jet, which killed more than 60 people, has stirred haunting memories for Redfern and other pilots who have faced challenges landing at Washington airport.
Planes approaching the airport must navigate a precise and narrow flight path to avoid restricted airspace around the nearby White House and Pentagon.
"That turn from the eastern side along the river to turn into runway 33 is very, very tight," said Redfern, referring to the same airstrip the American Eagle jet was heading towards before colliding with the U.S. military helicopter.
It is unclear what caused the crash, which is now under investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the US Army. Most air crashes typically result from multiple contributing factors.
Seven US pilots have told Reuters the landing at Reagan is unique due to congested space, along with an inability to communicate directly with military aircraft, which operate on different radio frequencies. The airport also has shorter runways, including runway 33, which is generally reserved for smaller aircraft, one of the seven aviators said.
More victims of crash named
18:58 , Matt WattsFurther victims of the crash have been named.
The Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts, said that six of its members were believed to be on board the doomed flight, including two skaters, two coaches and two parents.
It said in a statement that Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with parents Jin Han and Christine Lane and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were aboard the plane on Wednesday night.
The group was returning from the US figure skating national development camp, a program for “young competitive skaters of tomorrow”, following last week’s US championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Fore more information read our report.
Trump's comments will create 'culture of fear' says aviation expert
18:01 , Jacob PhillipsAn aviation expert has warned that Donald Trump has created a “culture of fear” by making conclusions about what has happened in the Washington DC crash ahead of an investigation.
Graham Braithwaite, a professor of safety and accident investigation at the University of Cranfield, has described how the focus should be on the human tragedy that has taken place but Donald Trump turned his news conference “into a political exercise”.
He told the BBC that Trump had presented theories “based on no evidence at all”.
Mr Braithwaite said: “To make any conclusions about the cause of an accident at this stage is folly and hugely disrespectful to the families and loved ones of those affected by it.
“It’s really, really sad to hear and it really doesn’t help create a safe investigation process or an independent investigation process.”
He added that a safety investigation should take precedence to try and prevent future accidents from happening.
Mr Braithwaite continued: “There will be a culture of fear that will be created amongst people to be naming positions, whether it’s air traffic controllers or whatever, and giving the insinuation that they were somehow at fault here is deeply unhelpful.
“I think it also just creates a huge amount of confusion.
“There is a process. It is an internationally agreed process for what happens following an accident.”
The aviation expert added: “Virtually no aircraft accident happens because of a single factor and so to reduce any accident to just one thing shortchanges everyone in terms of the lessons that can be learned.”
'Trump should be leading not lying' says former US transport secretary
17:41 , Jacob PhillipsDuring his news conference Donald Trump slammed former US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg as "a disaster" for implementing diversity initiatives at the FAA, implying that diversity led to incompetence.
Now, Mr Buttigeig has responded saying that “Trump should be leading, not lying”.
In a post on X Mr Buttigeig said: “We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”
Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 30, 2025
President Trump now oversees the military and the…
Recap: US President appears to blame diversity hiring for crash
17:22Donald Trump began his news conference about the Washington DC crash seeming to read from a script but he quickly seems to go off-piste.
He vowed to "restore faith in American air travel" but hit out at the Federal Aviation Administration, criticising what he said were rules on who can work in air traffic control and government diversity efforts.
He told reporters at the White House: "My administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety” before adding you need a "very special genius" to coordinate air traffic.
He then added that the FAA was "actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions".
Trump insists air traffic control systems have not been built properly
17:16 , Jacob PhillipsPresident Donald Trump said on Thursday that air traffic control systems have not been built properly, speaking in the wake of a deadly midair collision between an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington D.C.
"They spent a lot of money renovating a system, spending much more money than they would have spent if they bought a new system for air traffic controllers, meaning the computerized systems. There are certain companies that do a very good job. They didn't use those companies," Trump said.
Trump turns briefing into rant about diversity
17:11 , Jacob PhillipsDonald Trump seemed to turn his news conference about the crash in Washington DC into a rant about diversity.
Trump turned the briefing towards the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) despite presenting no evidence of a link with the plane crash.
At one stage Trump claimed “very powerful tests” for competence in air traffic control were “terminated” by Joe Biden.
CNN’s Kaitlin Collins asked: “Aren’t you getting ahead of the investigation?” Trump replied: “No, I don’t think so at all ... I don’t think that’s a smart question. I’m surprised, coming from you.”
Another reporter asked why Trump believes DEI is responsible. He said: “Because I have common sense and unfortunately a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level.”
Trump appears to prejudge investigation
17:04 , Jacob PhillipsDonald Trump has insisted that people should not be nervous to fly following the crash.
Earlier he said the passenger plane was "doing everything right" and on the usual "track", but that "for some reason" the helicopter was at the same height and "going at an angle that was unbelievably bad".
"You had a pilot problem from the standpoint of the helicopter,” he added but did not expand on what the problem was.
Trump also highlighted how it was a "very clear night”.
Trump then said the helicopter had the ability to stop, go up or down, or turn. He pressed on: "The turn it made was not the correct turn, obviously."
Trump appears to point finger at Air Traffic Control
16:53 , Jacob PhillipsDonald Trump has confirmed that the bodies of Russian nationals on the flight will be returned to Russia.
Answering a reporter’s question Trump explained that “we have already been in contact with Russia”.
Trump said that a list of the people who were killed on the plane will be published soon.
Asked who he believed was at fault for the crash, he added: “The warnings were given very, very late. Those warnings were given very late. It was almost as they were given a few seconds later there was the crash.
“It should have been brought up earlier. But the people and the helicopter should have seen where they were going.
“I can’t imagine people with 20:20 vision not seeing what is happening up there.”
He pressed on: “Visually someone should have been able to see and taken that helicopter out of play and they should have been at a different height.”
'We will restore faith in American air travel' says Trump
16:40 , Jacob Phillips“We will restore faith in American air travel” vowed Donald Trump.
Finishing a statement at the White House he told reporters: “You had a confluence of bad decisions that were made.
“You have people who lost their lives, violently lost their lives.”
Trump is now expected to answer a number of questions from journalists gathered at the White House.
'We have some very strong opinions' says Trump
16:32Donald Trump added that “we have some very strong opinions” about what happened when a passenger plane crashed into an army helicopter in Washington DC, vowing to search for answers.
He told a news conference: “Today we all heartbroken. We are all searching for answers.”
He went on: “We are all overcome with the grief of many who have so tragically perished and will no longer be with us.”
Trump continued: “We do not know what led to this crash but we have some very strong opinions and ideas and I think we will probably state those opinions now.”
He promised that officials are “working tirelessly” to find out exactly what happened in the build up to the crash.
'This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital' says Trump
16:28 , Jacob PhillipsDonald Trump has described the crash in Washington DC as an “hour of anguish for our nation” as he confirmed that there were no survivors.
He told journalists gathered at the White House: “This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history.
“A tragedy of terrible proportions. As one nation we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly. Really we are in mourning. This has really shaken a lot of people.”
He added: “We had some very talented people on that plane. I’m very very sorry about that.”
Trump confirmed that the work has shifted to a recovery mission.
He earlier began the news conference by holding a moment’s silence for the victims and families of the crash.
Donald Trump due to speak shortly
16:07 , Jacob PhillipsUS President Donald Trump is due to address a news conference shortly following the crash in Washington.
A Pentagon news conference was cancelled around an hour ago, the BBC reports.
It comes after authorities explained that a rescue mission has become a “recovery operation”.
President Trump to speak on DC plane crash
15:06 , Megan HowePresident Donald Trump will speak during a press briefing at 11am ET time (4pm GMT), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The President will hold a press briefing on the aviation disaster at 11:00AM ET in the James S. Brady Briefing Room.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 30, 2025
No black boxes recovered from the scene
14:18 , Megan HoweNo black boxes have been recovered from the scene, according to a National Transportation Safety Board source.
A black box is a flight data recorder that records information from the aircraft and its journey.
Crash was 'preventable' US Secretary of Transportation says
13:11 , Megan HoweAt a press conference this afternoon, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said: “We are going to wait for all the information to come in, but to back up what the President said and what I have seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”
Twenty eight people confirmed dead by Washington DC officials
12:48 , Megan HoweChief of the Washington DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services department, John Donnelly, confirmed the switch from a rescue to recovery operation at the press conference this afternoon (7.30am local time).
“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” he said.
“At this point we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.”
He confirmed 27 people from the plane and one person from the helicopter had been recovered from the water.
Washington DC Mayor starts press conference at Ronald Reagan Airport
12:38 , Megan HoweWashington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said: “I speak for all of us when I say how very sad we are for American Airlines, for the US Department of Defence and all Americans for the loss of life that happened with the collision of these aircrafts.
“We all share a profound sense of grief.”
The Mayor thanked emergency services who worked together throughout the night in “tough and heartbreaking” conditions during the rescue operation.
More than 30 bodies now pulled from the river, two sources say
11:39 , Megan HoweTwo sources familiar with the search efforts have confirmed that more than 30 bodies have now been recovered from the Potomac River, NBC reported.
The American Airlines flight, carrying 60 passengers and four crew, was coming into land at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided mid-air with a military aircraft.
Washington DC Mayor sends "love and prayers" to families
10:58 , Megan HoweWashington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a post on X that she sends "love and prayers" to "families, loved ones, and communities experiencing loss during this terrible tragedy."
She wrote: “Tonight, as our first responders continue their efforts, we are sending our love and prayers to the families, loved ones, and communities who are experiencing loss during this terrible tragedy.
“We will provide our next briefing at 7:30AM at DCA. It will be live on this account.”
Tonight, as our first responders continue their efforts, we are sending our love and prayers to the families, loved ones, and communities who are experiencing loss during this terrible tragedy.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 30, 2025
We will provide our next briefing at 7:30AM at DCA. It will be live on this account.
Citywide prayer vigil to be held after "enormous tragedy"
10:51 , Megan HoweThe Kansas Aviation Museum has said there will be a citywide vigil held on Thursday after its community has suffered an “enormous tragedy”.
An earlier statement read: “Tonight our community and nation has suffered an enormous tragedy as American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter collided in air.
“While we await news on the 64 souls on board the AA flight and 3 onboard the helicopters, our thoughts and prayers are with all affected by this tragedy as well as the aviation community.”
American figure skater Anton Spiridonov says he is safe and was not on board
10:42 , Megan HoweDespite contrary reports, American figure skater Anton Spiridonov has said he is safe and was not on board Flight 5342.
He posted on his Instagram story overnight: “Russian news outlets have included me on a list of presumed people on the flight from Wichita to Washington D.C.
“I was NOT on this flight, thank you for everyone’s concern for my safety. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this tragedy.”
Kremlin offers condolences to victims families
10:30 , Megan HoweThe Kremlin has offered its condolences to families and friends of those on board the aircraft.
"Bad news from Washington today. We regret and offer condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Peskov added the deaths of skaters Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were being confirmed.
Numbers of bodies recovered "approaching 20"
08:56 , Megan HoweThe number of bodies recovered from the Potomac River following the collision is “approaching 20”, according to NBC News.
CBS News earlier said at least 18 bodies had been pulled from river.
Citing a police official, it said no survivors had been found yet.
"We're landing in 20 minutes": Man's heartbreaking final text from wife
08:42 , Megan HoweA man whose wife was on the American Airlines flight has revealed her heartbreaking final text to him just minutes before the crash.
While waiting at the airport, Hamaad Raza told WUSA9 that his wife was on board the flight from Wichita, Kansas to Washington.
“I’m just praying that somebody's pulling her out of the river right now, as we speak. That's all I can pray for, I'm just praying to God.”
When asked “when was the last time you spoke to her”, he responded: “She texted me that they were landing in 20 minutes. The rest of my texts didn't get delivered and that's when I realized that something might be up.”
The aircraft, carrying 60 passengers and four crew, was coming into land at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided mid-air with the military aircraft.
A man waiting at the airport tells local news that his wife was on board the crashed plane and texted him shortly before the crash. "I'm just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now."#planecrash #Flight5342 pic.twitter.com/zCFxMv1HMW
— Chilly Chills (@WeeliyumF) January 30, 2025
Watch: Rescue operation involving 300 responders underway
08:18 , Megan HoweRescue teams are working in extremely difficult conditions in the Potomac River, where the plane and helicopter crashed.
No official casualties have been released, but there were 64 people on the plane and three soldiers on the helicopter.
"Several" members of the skating community on board plane
08:07 , Megan HoweUS Figure Skating has confirmed that “several” members of its skating community were on board the American Airlines aircraft that crashed into the Potomac River.
The sport's governing body said the athletes, coaches and relatives were travelling home from a development camp held alongside the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts,” they said in a statement obtained by ABC News.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
A source told Reuters that as many as 15 people on the flight may have been involved in figure skating.
Team USA pair skater Luke Wang wrote on X: “ Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to DC among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
praying for all those on the flight from wichita to dc. among the passengers were skaters and coaches. absolutely heartbreaking. 💔
— LUKE WANG (@lukeawang) January 30, 2025
Married world champion Russian figure skaters were on board plane
07:55 , Megan HoweTASS news agency ion Russia has reported two figure skaters were aboard the American Airlines plane that crashed near Reagan Washington National Airport.
Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were married, won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994.
The state-run news agency cited a “source”.
Everything we know about the so far
07:49 , Megan HoweA “highly complex” rescue operation is underway after a passenger plane collided with a US Army helicopter above Washington DC and crashed into the Potomac River at around 9pm local time on Wednesday.
•The American Airlines flight, carrying 60 passengers and four crew, was coming into land at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided mid-air with the military aircraft
•Both the passenger plane and the helicopter crashed into the river, breaking into two pieces
•Washington DC fire chief John Donnelly said emergency crews are working in “extremely rough” and “windy conditions”.
• Divers are in the water and multiple boats and helicopters are scouring the river as part of the rescue operation
• The number of bodies puled from the Potomac River is over 30, according to NBC News
• No official death toll has been reported
•Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas has suggested that all on board had died
• Donald Trump has said he is monitoring the situation after being briefed on what he described as a "terrible accident" that should not have happened
• Married world champion figure skaters, Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on board, according to TASS news agency
• US Figure Skating has confirmed that “several” members of its skating community were on board the American Airlines aircraft
• The Reagan Washington National Airport will be closed until at least 11am today local time (4pm UK time)
The moment of the collision was caught on CCTV:
In pictures: Rescuers search for survivors
07:28 , Megan HoweWashington, DC, fire chief John Donnelly said at the news conference that at least 300 first responders were continuing to work on the "highly complex" rescue operation.
"Conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders," Donnelly said. "It's cold. They're dealing with windy conditions."
Asked by reporters whether there were any survivors, he responded that "we don't know yet."
Inflatable boats have been launched into the Potomac River as part of the rescue operation.
Multiple helicopters, from both the police and army, have been seen flying overhead.
Relatives "getting little to no information" about the crash from officials
07:22 , Megan HoweRelatives gathered at the airport said they were getting little to no information from officials about the incident, adding that they were hearing more about the incident from news reports.
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.
President Trump says crash "should have been prevented"
07:19 , Megan HowePresident Donald Trump appeared to blame on the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers in a post on Truth Social.
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time.
“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
Watch: Moment of collision caught on CCTV
07:13 , Megan HoweWarning: Some readers may find this footage distressing
Footage has emerged showing the moment an American Airlines plane exploded after colliding mid-air near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC on Wednesday evening.
The small Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet collided with UH-60 Blackhawk US Army helicopter while landing at the airport, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.
At least 18 bodies pulled from Potomac River so far
07:03 , Megan HoweAccording to a report in the US, at least 18 bodies have been recovered from the river by emergency services.
Citing a police official, CBS News added no survivors have yet been found.
Officials did not provide a death toll from the collision. But U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, where the flight originated, suggested that all on board died.
He said at a news conference at Reagan airport on early Thursday: "It's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously."
"When one person dies, it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow," he said. "It's a heartbreak beyond measure."
Air traffic control captures final communications before crash
06:45 , Daniel KeaneAir traffic control recordings appear to capture the final attempted communications with the helicopter, callsign PAT25, before it collides with the plane, described as CRJ.
"PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller says at 8:47pm. (0147 GMT), according to a recording on liveatc.net.
Seconds later, another aircraft calls in to air traffic control, saying, "Tower, did you see that?" - apparently referring to the crash.
An air traffic controller then redirects planes heading to runway 33 to go around.
President Trump 'monitoring situation' on 'terrible accident'
06:36 , Daniel KeanePresident Donald Trump says he has been briefed on the "terrible accident" .
In a statement, he thanked first responders for their "incredible work," noting that he was "monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise".
"May God Bless their souls," he added.
Good morning
06:32 , Daniel KeaneA jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard has collided =with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a huge search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.
There was no immediate word on casualties or the cause of the collision.
Takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors.
