A midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Wednesday evening prompted a large-scale search and rescue operation. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. local time as the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operating as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, approached Runway 33. The helicopter, a Sikorsky UH-60, was on a training flight from Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir.

The collision involved 64 individuals on the aircraft (60 passengers and 4 crew) and three soldiers aboard the helicopter. While immediate details about casualties and the cause of the incident remain scarce, authorities are actively investigating. President Trump has been briefed on the situation and offered condolences, highlighting the efforts of first responders.

Emergency response units at the scene of the aircraft crash near Reagan National Airport. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Image of the collision aftermath near Reagan National Airport. (Fox News Digital)

Rescue operations underway after the collision. (Associated Press)

Another image of rescue efforts at the crash site. (Associated Press)

Debris being recovered from the Potomac River. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Onlookers observing the emergency response. (Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Air traffic control recordings indicate communication between the tower and the helicopter shortly before the crash. While the helicopter responded, it did so on a separate frequency. Weather conditions at the time were reported as clear. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is on-site and coordinating support from the Department of Transportation and the FAA. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Coast Guard are also assisting. Flights at DCA are expected to resume at 11 a.m.

Screenshot from EarthCam appearing to show the moment of impact. (EarthCam)

Another screenshot from EarthCam showing the resulting fireball. (EarthCam)

This incident is the first crash involving a U.S. commercial flight since the 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 tragedy near Buffalo, New York. The FAA and NTSB are launching investigations, with the NTSB leading the inquiry.