Plane crash in USA: passenger plane crashed into river in Washington after collision with helicopter

On Wednesday evening, January 29, a plane crash occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport - a passenger plane collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane was operating American Airlines flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 of the regional company PSA Airlines, which took off from Wichita, Kansas. There were 60 passengers and 4 crew members on board, CNN writes.

According to preliminary information, the plane collided with a military helicopter Black Hawk (H-60) of the US Army, which had three soldiers on board.

Rescue operation

According to CBS News, a large-scale search and rescue operation began at the scene after the accident. The District of Columbia Police Department said it received the first calls about the crash at 8:53 p.m., local time.

As of 11:30 p.m. ET, rescuers had recovered at least 18 bodies from the water. There were no immediate reports of survivors.

White House response

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the crash.

"Federal and local agencies are working on the scene to save as many lives as possible. The Trump administration extends its condolences to all those affected," Leavitt said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the crash, in cooperation with the FAA.