Mid-air collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet above the Potomac River

Washington DC : A passenger plane carrying 64 passengers and crew has crashed into a river in Washington DC after it collided in mid-air with a US Army helicopter. Eighteen bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River so far, where search and rescue teams are scouring the waters in freezing temperatures, according to US media reports. US authorities are investigating and the nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has grounded all flights. As per local authorities, 18 bodies have been recovered from the river so far.

At around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday, a PSA Airlines jet operating as American Airlines 5342 collided with a US Army helicopter as it approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The passenger plane, a Bombardier CRJ700, departed from Wichita, Kansas and was carrying 60 passengers and four crew, according to American Airlines.

The Pentagon said the helicopter involved was a Sikorsky H-60 that took off from Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Three US soldiers were on board the Army aircraft, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said. The FAA said it would investigate the incident, together with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).