A desperate search for survivors has begun with 19 bodies being pulled out from the icy Potomac River after a Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with a commercial plane.
Sources from local media outlets shared how the plane ended up splitting in half near the Reagan National Airport in Virginia on Wednesday night.
Flight 5342 which was a regional jet operating for American Airlines and traveling from the Wichita Kan collided with the military chopper while it was trying to approach the runway for landing.
This arose at about 9 pm Washington Airport time as per reports from the Federal Aviation Administration.
300 first responders were seen rushing to the scene as divers spent a lot of time in the active search at the Potomac. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the plane while three were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash.
First responders are still busy at work and recovering remains of more than 30 people as per two sources.
American Airlines says that its main concern right now is for passengers and crew on board the plane. They are in contact with authorities and are currently assisting with the emergency response efforts.
