(NEXSTAR) – An American Airlines regional plane with 60 passengers and 4 crew aboard collided with a helicopter Wednesday night, sending the aircraft into the frigid waters of the Potomac River.
There was no immediate confirmation of any casualties, but surviving an extended submersion in the river would be difficult.
The human body can survive in 32- to 40-degree water for between 30 and 90 minutes, Dr. Jeff Hersh told USA Today. The latest readings showed the temperature of the Potomac to be roughly 42 degrees Thursday night.
All takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point near the airport along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport.
President Donald Trump was briefed, his press secretary said, and Vice President JD Vance encouraged followers on the social media platform X to “say a prayer for everyone involved.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair collision occurred around 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into a military Blackhawk helicopter while on approach to an airport runway.
In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, “PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight,” in reference to the passenger aircraft.
“Tower did you see that?” another pilot is heard calling seconds after the apparent collision.
The tower immediately began diverting other aircraft from Reagan.
An Army official told Nexstar in a statement:
“We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available.”
Ronald Reagan National Airport will be closed until 5 a.m. Thursday; the collision remains under investigation.
