Nineteen bodies reportedly recovered so far after American Airlines flight in midair collision with Black Hawk helicopter

• Washington DC plane crash – latest updates

Rescuers are scouring the Potomac River in Washington DC after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a US army Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers aboard while attempting to land at Ronald Reagan airport on Wednesday night.

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. According to media reports, rescuers have recovered 19 bodies from the river so far, while divers have found one of the plane’s two data recorders, known as black boxes.