A military Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger plane collided near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night, prompting a massive search and rescue effort near the nation’s capital.
American Airlines flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, operated by PSA Airlines, was preparing to land at the airport before it “collided in midair” with the Army helicopter around 9 p.m. ET, authorities said.
The flight had 64 people on board, according to American Airlines, and the military helicopter, which was on a training mission, had three soldiers on board, according to FOX News and POLITICO.
A joint statement by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and DC Fire and EMS released shortly before 11 p.m. ET said that “there is no confirmed information on casualties at this time.”
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the Federal Airline Administration and National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is leading the investigation, according to a statement from the FAA obtained by USA TODAY.
The FAA lists the DCA airport as being under a ground stop until at least 11 a.m. ET Thursday but officials warned, “obviously, that will be fluid.”
The following are the last 10 fatal airline crashes, according to data from the U.S. National Transportation Board and the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network.
2009
A Colgan Air turboprop crashed on approach to landing in Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground.
2006
A Comair regional jet overran the runway when taking off from Lexington, Kentucky, and crashed, killing 49 of the 50 people on board.
2005
A Chalk’s Ocean Airways turboprop crashed after takeoff from Miami, Florida, killing all 20 people on board.
2004
A Corporate Airlines turboprop crashed on approach to landing in Kirksville, Missouri, killing 13 of the 15 people on board.
2003
A US Airways Express turboprop crashed after takeoff from Charlotte, North Carolina, killing all 21 people on board.
November 2001
In November, an American Airlines jet crashed after departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground.
Sept. 11, 2001
A hijacked American Airlines jet departed from Boston and crashed into the World Trade Center building in New York, killing all 92 people on board. Around 1,600 people also died on the ground.
A hijacked United Airlines jet that departed from Boston also crashed into the World Trade Center, killing all 65 people on board. About 900 people were killed on the ground.
A hijacked American Airlines jet that departed from Washington-Dulles International Airport crashed into the Pentagon, killing all 64 people on board. Around 125 people died on the ground.
A hijacked United Airlines jet that departed from Newark, New Jersey, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board.
Contributing: Reuters, Kathleen Wong, Thao Nguyen, Joey Garrison USA TODAY
