Rescuers bring out 19 deadi body afta American Airlines plane and army helicopter collide for Washington DC river

One America Airlines regional passenger jet and one United States Army Black Hawk helicopter jam each oda for air for Washington DC, crash enta Potomac River, near Reagan Washington National Airport.

Inside one statement, US Federal Aviation Administration say di crash happun wen di plane dey approach Runway 33 for Reagan Washington National Airport around 9pm local time.

"One PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collid in mid-air wit a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT)," di statement tok.

Di flight wey bin dey come from Wichita, Kansas, bin dey carry 60 passengers and four crew members, while three US Army soldiers bin dey inside di military helicopter.

Washington DC emergency crews immediately mobilize enta di Reagan National Airport. More dan a dozen fire trucks and ambulances don mount for di scene.

Di DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly say first responders dey work to find di victims.

Di emergency chief say di rescue response na highly complex operation and "di conditions out dia dey extremely rough".

Di official temperature for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, midnight local time na around 7C (44F).

But officials say dem dey expect am to Kontinu to drop to minimum of -1C (30F) through di rest of di night.

Several figure skaters dey di flight

US Figure Skating, di American governing body for di sport, confam for one statement say several members of DIA skating community dey di American Airlines Flight 5342.

"Dis athletes, coaches, and family members dey return home from di National Development Camp wey dem do in collabo wit U.S. Figure Skating Championships for Wichita, Kansas," di statement say.

"We dey devastated by dis unspeakable tragedy and hold di victims families close in our hearts. We go kontinu to monitor di situation and go release more information as e become available."

Di 2025 Prevagen US Figure Skating Championships happun for Wichita, Kansas between 20-26 January.

Tori pipo Reuters report say two Russian figure skaters and coaches bin follow inside di flight, according to Russia news agency TASS.

Na about 300 emergency responders dey ground, including police divers and boats wey dey search for survivors inside windy condition.

Donnelly say even though di first responders first priority na to look for survivors, dem go also work wit di National Transportation Safety Board to help preserve evidence.

"Di FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) go investigate. Di NTSB go lead di investigation.

Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) don ground all flights while emergency services respond to di mid-air crash.

Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority president Jack Potter say dem divert 19 aircrafts wey bin dey for air away from Reagan to Dulles International Airport nearby.

Potter say dem go close Reagan Airport until at least 11:00 EST (1700 GMT) on Thursday.

Bad situation wey dem for prevent

US President Donald Trump tok for one official statement say dem don "fully brief" am about di "terrible accident."

Less dan four hours afta di crash, di president post on im Truth Social platform: "Di airplane bin dey on perfect and routine line of approach to di airport," Trump write.

"Di helicopter bin dey go straight to di airplane for long period of time. Na CLEAR NIGHT, di lights on di plane bin dey glow.

"Why di helicopter no go up or down, or turn. Why di control tower no tell di helicopter wetin to do instead of asking if dem saw di plane.

"Dis na bad situation wey look like say dem for fit prevent am. NOT GOOD!!!"

Defence Secretary Pete Hegesth say di incident dey"absolutely tragic".

For one post wey im do for X, im say di military and defence department don launch one immediate investigation.

"Prayers for all impacted souls, and dia families," im add.

Major US commercial air crash since 2009

Di last time any major US commercial air crash na for February 2009, wen Continental Airlines flight wey bin depart from Newark, New Jersey, wey Colgan Air bin dey operate, crash enta one house as e dey approaching di airport for Buffalo, New York.

Di plane na one Bombardier Q400 and 49 pipo die for di crash.

Di most recent large-scale American Airlines crash na for November 2001 near John F. Kennedy International Airport.

American Airlines Flight No 587, one Airbus A300, crashed shortly afta take-off, killing 265 pipo.

Di flight bin dey go Santo Domingo for Dominican Republic and crash for di Belle Harbor area of Rockaways for New York City borough of Queens.

For 2009, one US Airways Airbus A320 crash land minutes afta e take off from New York City LaGuardia airport, some birds disable di engines.

Di pilot decide to glide di plane to ditching on Hudson River and dem bin rescue all 155 passengers and crew.