At least 18 bodies have been recovered after a midair collision between a regional passenger jet and a helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, CBS News reported on Thursday morning, citing a police official.
A PSA Airlines plane collided in mid-air with a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and landed in the Potomac River during the early hours, the Federal Aviation Administration announced shortly after the crash.
Webcam at the Kennedy Center caught an explosion mid-air across the Potomac. https://t.co/v75sxitpH6 pic.twitter.com/HInYdhBYs5
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Three US Army soldiers were onboard the military helicopter that collided with the passenger jet, a US official said. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the status of the soldiers was unknown but added that no senior officials were on the helicopter.
The exact number of fatalities is unknown.
Sixty passengers were scheduled to be on the jet that crashed near Washington’s Reagan Airport, according to an American Airlines source.
The White House released an official statement from President Donald Trump, who said he had been fully briefed on the “terrible accident.” He stated that he was monitoring the situation and will provide more details when they arise.
“Thank you for the incredible work done by our first responders,” he added.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the army and Department of Defense investigation had launched an “immediate investigation” into the accident.
The US Northern Command’s Joint Task Force in Washington confirmed it was an Army UH-60 aircraft from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir. The aircraft was on a training flight.
All flights halted
Following the crash, the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport announced on X that all takeoff and handling had been halted at the airport.
“All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open,” the post said.
Fireboats were rushed to the scene of the crash, the DC Fire and EMS Department wrote in an X post.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.
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