A devastating midair collision occurred on Wednesday night near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, involving an American Airlines passenger jet operated by PSA Airlines and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. At least 67 individuals are confirmed dead, including 64 passengers and crew members aboard the jet and three personnel in the helicopter, according to reports.

The incident took place around 9 p.m. ET, just as the commercial flight was landing after a journey from Wichita, Kansas. Local officials have reported around 300 responders have been deployed to search the Potomac River where the crash occurred, with recovery operations ongoing amid challenging conditions. The Hill confirmed that 28 bodies had been recovered by Thursday morning.

Flight 5342 was nearing its final approach when it collided with the military helicopter, which was conducting a routine training flight out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Witness accounts and video footage captured the moment of impact, describing a fireball erupting in the night sky. An air traffic controller had directed the helicopter to maintain visual separation but just seconds later, reports indicate a collision occurred. Investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are underway to ascertain how the crash transpired in one of the country’s most closely monitored airspaces.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphatically stated that the crash was "absolutely preventable," indicating that the flight paths of both the jet and helicopter were routine before the collision. His sentiments echoed those of former President Donald Trump, who criticized the control tower’s instructions to the military helicopter, questioning why it did not take evasive actions to avoid the passenger jet. In light of this incident, Duffy noted that both aircraft had been operating under standard procedures, which makes the situation even more perplexing.

The victims included notable figures from the world of figure skating, returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Wichita. Among those onboard were Russian-born champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, along with athletes, coaches, and their families, prompting an outpouring of grief from the sporting community.

The emergency response to the crash was rapid, with hundreds of responders mobilized. Conditions in the Potomac River—cold and murky—have complicated search and recovery efforts. Fire Chief John Donnelly reported that divers faced extreme challenges due to the river's conditions and advised that recovery could continue for days.

This collision marks the first major aviation disaster in the U.S. in over a decade, following a significant incident in 2009. The aviation industry is poised to closely scrutinize this accident to prevent future tragedies.

For ongoing updates, please refer to original reports from TIME, The Hill, and ABC News.