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An American Airlines regional jet was involved in a midair collision late Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.
In a statement to TPG, the FAA said a regional jet inbound from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter while on preparing to land at DCA.
The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ700, was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board, the carrier told TPG.
The incident took place around 9:00 p.m. EST, the FAA said.
The FAA halted all takeoffs and landings late Wednesday amid a large-scale investigation, and search for survivors in the nearby Potomac River.
Local and regional fire and emergency responders were on scene conducting a search for survivors in the Potomac River, and the U.S. Coast Guard joined the search, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.
In a statement to TPG late Wednesday, American Airlines said: “Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”
The airline urged those who believe they may have loved ones on board the flight to call American Airlines toll-free number at (800) 679-8215.
As of 11:40 p.m. EST Wednesday, the number of casualties remained unclear. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the FAA said.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at DCA tonight,” the Air Line Pilots Association, the nation’s largest pilots union, said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy and ALPA’s accident investigation team is responding to assist the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation.”
Newly-confirmed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was at FAA headquarters late Wednesday, he said, and directed the agency to support the NTSB and other agencies amid the investigation.
The closest airport to Washington, D.C., Reagan National sits in some of the most congested and tightly-regulated airspace in the country.
Prior to Wednesday, it had been nearly 16 years since the last major crash involving a commercial aircraft on U.S. soil.
This is a developing story. Check back for further updates.
