Passenger Plane, Military Helicopter Collide Over River Near Washington: At Least 30 Dead

At least 30 people have been killed in a collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a military helicopter in the United States, near Washington, D.C., the BBC reports.

After the collision, the aircraft crashed into the Potomac River.

It is known that 64 people were on board the plane. A large-scale search operation is currently underway.

The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport at around 21:00 local time on Wednesday when the crash occurred.

Among those on board the passenger plane were figure skaters from the United States and Russia.

A spokesman for the US Department of Defence said that three US Army soldiers were on board the Black Hawk helicopter.

The Pentagon also reported that the helicopter had taken off from the Fort Belvoir airbase in Virginia. According to an official, it was on a training flight.

The wreckage of the aircraft is floating in the Potomac River. US media reports that the plane split in two when it hit the water.

US President Donald Trump reacted to the crash.

‘The aircraft was on a perfect and normal approach line to the airport. The helicopter was heading straight for the plane for a long time. It was a clear night, the aircraft had lights on, why didn't the helicopter climb, descend, turn around? Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they could see the plane? This tragedy could have been prevented,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.