Jan 30 – An American Airlines flight collided with a helicopter as it approached Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, officials say.
It came down in the Potomac River, officials said, and search and rescue boats have been deployed to the area.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet – which seats up to 78 people – collided with the helicopter as it was approaching the runway at around 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
The plane was American Airlines Flight 5342 coming from Wichita, Kansas, according to the agency.
Takeoffs and landings have been halted at the airport as emergency personnel respond to the incident, the airport wrote in a post on X.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was conducting an investigation into the crash.
The Metropolitan Police Department said a search and rescue operation was under way in the Potomac River with help from multiple agencies.
Local police said the helicopter involved in the crash did not belong to the police department.
