Rescuers search Potomac river after flight from Kansas with 64 onboard collides with Black Hawk helicopter while coming in to land

• Washington DC plane crash – latest updates

A regional American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members has crashed after a midair collision with a US army Black Hawk helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan national airport near Washington DC, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the Potomac river.

All takeoffs and landings from the airport near the capital were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, a US official said. Multiple bodies have been pulled from the Potomac, according to media reports. US senator Ted Cruz said “we know there are fatalities” but did not provide further details.