Washington: A regional jet carrying dozens of passengers and a military helicopter have collided midair raising fears of mass casualties and forcing a halt to all takeoffs and landings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
US President Donald Trump said late on Wednesday he had been briefed on the “terrible accident”.
“May God bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders,” he said in a statement. “I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 jet collided with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at around 9pm local time while en route from Wichita, Kansas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
“PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas,” the FAA said in a statement.
“The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation,” the aviation agency added, referring to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Police and fire services said a multi-agency search and rescue operation was under way in the Potomac River.
“Fireboats on scene,” the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department said in a post on X.
Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi, reporting from Washington, DC, said there was an “enormous response” at the scene of the crash, including emergency vehicles and boats.
“We should be very clear, this is the main local airport serving the Washington, DC, metropolitan area,” Rattansi said.
“We believe that both of those aircraft are in the river,” Rattansi said. “So that is of enormous concern now.”
Video posted on social media appeared to show the two aircraft collide and explode into flames.
There was no immediate confirmation of the number of casualties.
US Senator Roger Marshall, who represents Kansas, said the aircraft had been carrying “roughly 60 passengers”.
“My prayer is that God wraps his arms around every victim and that he continues to be with their families. There are no words that can make telling this story any easier,” Marshall said on X.
“I ask the world to join me in praying for Kansas this evening, the first responders, rescue crews, and all those involved in this horrific accident.”
The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ700 has a maximum capacity of 78 passengers, according to aircraft brokerage JetSet Group.
The US Army confirmed that its helicopter was carrying three personnel. The Sikorsky H-60 can carry up to 11 fully equipped soldiers, according to the site Military.com.
Ronald Reagan Washington National airport, located in Crystal City, Virginia, is the closest airport to Washington, DC, lying less than five miles from the US capital.
