A passenger plane crashes following a collision with a helicopter in Washington

A passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into Washington's cold Potomac River on Wednesday after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, triggering a massive emergency response and grounding all flights.

The plane, which had been flying from Kansas, was moments away from landing when the crash occurred.

American Airlines, whose subsidiary operated the flight, confirmed that there were 60 passengers and 4 crew members onboard.

A US Army official stated that the helicopter involved was a Black Hawk, carrying three soldiers—whose status is currently unknown. Washington police have reported that no confirmed casualty information is available yet, though a large-scale search and rescue operation is underway.

According to sources cited by The Washington Post, police had begun recovering bodies from the Potomac.

Witness Ari Schulman, who was driving home at the time, described seeing a “stream of sparks” and a burst resembling a large firework when the collision occurred overhead.

“I saw the plane and it looked normal. Then, three seconds later, it was banked to the right, and I could see its underside lit up bright yellow, with sparks trailing underneath it. It looked like a Roman candle,” Schulman told CNN.

President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed” on the situation, expressing his condolences to any victims, saying, “May God bless their souls.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a grounding of all flights at Reagan National, and Washington police said multiple agencies were responding to the crash site in the Potomac.

Kristi Noem, the new U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, announced on social media that she was deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for the search and rescue efforts.

Police reported that fireboats had joined the operation, though efforts were hampered by the darkness and near-freezing temperatures. Fire trucks and divers were seen heading to the river to assist with the recovery.

The FAA confirmed that a Bombardier regional jet operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines collided with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter as it was approaching Reagan National at around 9:00 p.m. The plane had departed from Wichita, Kansas.

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas called the incident "nothing short of a nightmare" and urged the world to pray for Kansas and those affected by the crash. He also stated that he was in contact with authorities to seek answers about what led to the collision.