What we know after American Airlines plane crashes with Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C.

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WASHINGTON — 64 people, including passengers and crew on a commercial flight, lost their lives on Wednesday night after their plane collided with a military helicopter in mid-air near Reagan Washington National Airport.

An American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter have crashed into the Potomac River. The helicopter was carrying three people inside.

The collision happened just before 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

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President Donald Trump referred to the fatal accident as "a tragedy of terrible proportions" and stated there were no survivors as he spoke with reporters in the White House press briefing room on Thursday morning.

This was a dark and heartbreaking night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history, a tragedy of immense sorrow as one nation, we mourn the loss of every precious life taken from us in an instant.

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There were 60 passengers and four crew members on American Eagle Flight 5342, which was headed from Wichita to Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, which is near the Washington, D.C. area, according to American Airlines.

The accident occurred near the airport.

American Airlines stated that it is cooperating with authorities and assisting with ongoing efforts to respond. The airline expressed its primary worry is for the individuals onboard the plane, including passengers and flight crew.

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The US Army verified that the helicopter was a Black Hawk aircraft based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the helicopter crew involved in the crash was "reasonably experienced" and was doing an "annual proficiency training flight" at the time of the collision.

Hegseth said the three crew members were from the Bravo Company of the 12th Aviation Battalion stationed at Fort Belvoir, a military base located about 14 miles outside of Washington Dulles International Airport.

No survivors from crash

All passengers and crew members on both aircraft are believed to be dead, President Trump stated Thursday morning. Dozens of bodies have been retrieved from the Potomac River, and the operation has expanded into a significant recovery effort.

Both from the U.S. and Russia who had returned from a competition in Wichita.

The CEO of The Skating Club of Boston, Doug Zeghibe, stated that fourteen skaters who were headed home from the national development camp in Wichita, Kansas, lost their lives in the accident.

The athletes Jinna Han, whose mother is Jin Han, and Spencer Lane, whose mother is Christine Lane, along with their coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.

Two Russian world champions were also on an American Eagle flight, according to Russian state reports.

By Thursday morning, authorities reported that at least two dozen people had been recovered from the water. Of those, 27 were from the American Eagle civilian jet and one from the U.S. Black Hawk helicopter, authorities reported.

Coast Guard boats and ambulances were transporting human remains to a temporary morgue, and the D.C. medical examiner said the recovery effort is the largest the agency has undertaken in many years.

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