Air collision reported. Here's what we know about the plane and helicopter crash near Washington.

In the United States, a passenger airplane collided with a military helicopter in midair and fell into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Airport, close to Washington, D.C. A large-scale rescue operation is ongoing at the site, and an investigation has been initiated.

RBC-Ukraine has compiled all the known details regarding the aviation disaster in the material below.

Contents

• What happened
• Trump believes the tragedy "could have been avoided"
• The rescue operation continues. What is known about the number of victims
• Who was on board the airplane and helicopter
• The first major aviation disaster in the U.S. in nearly 16 years

What happened

The passenger airplane Bombardier CRJ700 of American Airlines was operating regional flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas. During its approach for landing (the aircraft was set to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, located near Washington), it collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The aviation disaster occurred around 9:00 PM local time (4:00 AM Kyiv time). This was the expected timeframe for the passenger jet to land. However, the D.C. police reported receiving an alert about the accident at 8:53 PM. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River after the collision.

Video footage of the disaster captured the moment. The images show the two aircraft colliding in the sky, resulting in a fiery explosion.

According to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, there were 64 people on board the passenger plane, while the military helicopter, which was on a training flight, had 3 servicemen.

Photo: After the collision, the plane fell into the Potomac River and broke apart (Getty Images)

One eyewitness described the aviation disaster as follows: "At first, I saw the plane, and it looked fine. It was just above the ground, possibly at an altitude of 120 feet (36.5 meters) above the water. A few seconds later, the plane tilted sharply to the right by more than 90 degrees. I saw its underside. It was lit in bright yellow, and beneath it was a stream of sparks, and then everything went dark."

CNN published a transcript of the audio recording from air traffic controllers giving instructions to the helicopter. The controller first asked the helicopter pilot if he could see the jet in his line of sight and then instructed him to fly behind the passenger plane.

In the audio recording, just before the collision, the helicopter pilot can be heard saying: "PAT 2-5 [helicopter] sees the plane in sight, requesting visual separation." Less than 13 seconds after this, a gasp from the military helicopter crew is recorded. Following that, the collision occurred.

The cause of the tragedy is still unknown. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described the event as "absolutely tragic" and stated that the Army and the Pentagon have immediately begun an investigation into the causes of the aviation disaster.

Trump believes the tragedy "could have been avoided"

CNN notes that the airspace above Ronald Reagan National Airport is one of the busiest in the country, and passenger planes often share airspace with helicopters. However, after the accident, Reagan Washington Airport will be closed until 5:00 AM Friday local time (12:00 PM Kyiv time).

The incident has drawn a response from U.S. President Donald Trump. He believes that the military helicopter crew should have changed course, thus the tragedy "could have been avoided."

"The plane was on a perfect and normal approach path for landing. The helicopter was flying straight at the plane for a long time. Clear night! The plane had its lights on; why didn’t the helicopter go up, down, or turn? Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do, instead of asking if they saw the plane? This is a bad situation that appears to have been preventable," Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social.

The rescue operation continues. What is known about the number of victims

Reports indicate that the plane broke apart into several pieces as a result of the collision and fall. Currently, a rescue operation is ongoing at the crash site, with 300 rescuers, including police and divers, on the scene. The operation is being conducted in the waters of the Potomac River under nearly freezing temperatures.

Photo: The cause of the aviation disaster remains unknown, rescuers are working at the scene (Getty Images)

The area where divers are working is about 8 feet (2.4 meters) deep. The overall depth of the river is 24 feet (7.3 meters). The water is dark and murky with floating chunks of ice. Therefore, rescuers expect the search to last several days. Additionally, a drop in air temperature and rain is anticipated, which will further complicate the search efforts.

Media reports indicate that there are no survivors from the aviation disaster. Specifically, CBS News notes that three sections of debris were found in the water. According to the latest information, at least 19 bodies have been recovered. However, official data regarding the victims is still pending.

According to one CBS News correspondent, the dive team found what appears to be one of the two flight recorders from the plane, known as "black boxes." However, it is unclear whether this is the cockpit voice recorder or the one that stores flight data.

Divers have gained some access to the airplane's cabin. Among the items found is luggage. Meanwhile, the helicopter was found overturned but appears to be almost undamaged, the journalists add.

Photo: 300 rescuers are working at the scene (Getty Images)

Updated 1:39 PM. More than 30 bodies have been recovered from the river following the aviation disaster near Washington, NBC reports.

Two sources familiar with the rescue operation informed the American broadcaster that more than 30 bodies have been retrieved from the Potomac River, where the passenger plane from American Airlines and the Black Hawk military helicopter fell. The rescue operation continues under challenging conditions.

Who was on board the airplane and helicopter

The Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed was based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It was conducting a training flight. It is known that the aircraft belonged to Company B of the 12th Aviation Battalion. A representative from the U.S. Department of Defense informed CBS News that there were three soldiers on board the helicopter, but no high-ranking officials were present.

As for the passenger airplane, it had 60 passengers and 4 crew members on board. The U.S. Figure Skating Federation reported that athletes were on board the plane that crashed in Washington.

However, their names and other details were not provided. Conversely, Russian media sources report that former Russian figure skaters, now coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, may have been on the plane.

Photo: The plane broke into several pieces, its wreckage lies at a depth of 1.5-2.5 meters (Getty Images)

According to the BBC, several figure skaters were on board the Bombardier CRJ700 flight 5342. This included athletes, coaches, and their family members returning home from a National Development Camp that was held alongside the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. This championship took place from January 20 to 26.

The Russian Figure Skating Federation claims that there were no Russian citizens on board the plane that crashed in Washington. They stated, "These were U.S. citizens of Russian descent who participated in the championship."

The first major aviation disaster in the U.S. in nearly 16 years

CBS News points out that the aviation disaster over Washington became the first major tragedy involving a commercial aircraft in the United States in nearly 16 years.

According to journalists, the last passenger aircraft accident of such magnitude in the U.S. occurred in February 2009. At that time, a Continental Airlines plane, operating a route from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York, crashed into a building while approaching for landing at the airport. This was a Bombardier Q400 aircraft. As a result of the