The incident happened at the Washington National Airport, near Washington DC.
There are fears of mass casualties after a Blackhawk military helicopter crashed with an American Airlines passenger plane carrying around 70 passengers above a major airport during the night. All runways have been shut down and all departures and landings have been cancelled at the DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, near Washington DC.
NBC is reporting that an estimated 60 passengers and four crew were on the American Airlines passenger plane. They report it is split in two and is in about seven feet of water while the helicopter is upside down and not stable, bobbing up and down in the water where divers have not yet been able to make entry to it.President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation. The FBI has told reporters there is no indication of any criminality or terrorism in the crash at this stage.
"The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation. Will provide updates as information comes in." In a later, fuller statement, Mr Trump said: "I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise."
The DC Police Department said: "MPD is responding to an apparent air crash in the Potomac River. Multiple agencies are responding. The DC Fire Department tweeted to say they believed the collision occurred around 9pm local time and a small aircraft has entered the water. Fireboats responded to the scene along with multiple agencies including the Metropolitan Police Department .
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to collide and form a fireball.The incident follows the crash of an Air Florida flight in 1982 that plummeted into the Potomac, that killed 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.
A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able to do so. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.
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