Near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night, a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle Flight 5342, which was flown by PSA Airlines aboard a Bombardier CRJ700 regional plane, collided in midair. At at 8:53 p.m. local time, the passenger plane, which was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was approaching Runway 33 when it crashed. After the crash, the plane plunged into the Potomac River after taking off from Wichita, Kansas.
Although no official death toll has been announced, police and rescue crews have reportedly recovered several dead bodies from the river. Search and rescue efforts are being carried out on the scene by Maryland State Police divers and fireboats.