A plane and helicopter crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

On the evening of Wednesday, January 29, a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, causing both aircraft to plunge into the Potomac River. Hundreds of rescuers are conducting searches for victims and survivors of the crash, reports CNN.

It has been reported that the regional aircraft of PSA Airlines was operating flight 5342 and was en route to Washington from Wichita, Kansas. There were 60 passengers and three crew members on board.

Preliminary reports state that during the landing approach, the plane collided in mid-air with a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which had three people aboard. The helicopter had taken off from Fort Belvoir, an Army post in Virginia.

Authorities began receiving calls about an "aircraft accident over the Potomac River" at 8:53 PM local time. Reagan National Airport was closed due to the "emergency situation."

The D.C. police stated that they are coordinating search and rescue operations in the Potomac River alongside other agencies following reports of the passenger plane crash. There are currently no precise figures regarding the number of casualties from the incident.

The chief of the Washington Fire and Emergency Medical Services reported that all search and rescue operations are being conducted in the water and will continue for several days due to "hazardous" conditions.

"The water is dark and murky, and these are very difficult conditions for diving," he stated.

Updated. Russian propaganda Telegram channels have reported that among the passengers of the plane that collided with the helicopter in Washington, there were reportedly Russian figure skaters. This information has also been confirmed by the U.S. Figure Skating Association.

Recent Aviation Accidents

On December 25 in Kazakhstan, a passenger plane from Azerbaijan crashed while heading to Chechnya. It was later reported that its fall was caused by a Russian missile that struck the aircraft.

On December 29, a passenger plane of Jeju Air crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea. The death toll stands at 179 people.

On January 2, a single-engine Van's RV-10 plane crashed into a building in California. It went down just minutes after taking off from a local airport. The accident resulted in two fatalities and 18 injuries.