Reports reported when American Airlines Jet collides with a helicopter

A plane that transported 64 people crashed into the Potomac River after it collided with a military helicopter outside Washington DC.

The collision occurred when the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, approached Ronald Reagan National Airport around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

The authorities have not confirmed whether there are victims of the accident, but the American partner of the BBC, CBS, reported that the police said that 18 bodies have been recovered so far, without survivors.

Three US army soldiers were aboard the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed with the plane, a defense official said.

It is not clear where the helicopter came from, although it belongs to a Battalion based in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Multiple federal and local agencies are involved in the rescue mission.

In the scene, the BBC observed debris that is believed to be from the plane floating on the Potomac River. US Media says the plane was divided in half when it crashed into the water.

Eye witnesses told local media that they saw sparks and flashes when the collision occurred in the air.

Ari Schulman told NBC Washington what he developed before he quickly changed “completely” to “very incorrect.”

There was “a stream of sparks” under the plane. “It seemed like a giant Roman candle … I looked back to see a fireball,” he said.

When asked at a press conference how many people have been rescued or recovered, the mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser, said he could only confirm the number of passengers on each plane.

The emergency chief of the city, John Donnelly, said rescuers are fighting the cold, winds and darkness in the water.

“There are wind. There are pieces of ice in the water … and because there is not much light, you are looking for every square inch of space,” he said.

“These are very difficult conditions to (rescuers) dive,” he added.

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, said he had been “completely informed about the terrible accident.”

“Thank you for the incredible work done by our first to answer. I am monitoring the situation and I will provide more details as they arise,” he said in a statement.

The take -offs and landings in Washington National, since emergency personnel respond to the incident, wrote the airport in an X publication.

The flights deviate to the International Airport of Dulles at about 28 miles (45 km) away, and the Washington DC Met The transport authority.

Federal Aviation authorities and the United States Congress have launched research on the incident.

The American Airlines CEO, Robert Isom, said the airline has sent a team to Washington DC and he will also travel there.