On Wednesday evening, a tragic midair collision occurred between a passenger jet and a US Army helicopter as the aircrafts were approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC. The crash sparked an urgent and large-scale search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River, as authorities and emergency personnel rushed to the scene.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the crash occurred around 9 p.m. EST, when a regional jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter on its approach to the runway. As the incident unfolded, air traffic control audio captured a controller asking the helicopter crew, "PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?" referring to the commercial aircraft, as reported by AP.— Reagan_Airport (@Reagan_Airport) Seconds after the collision, another pilot can be heard on the tower's frequency, asking, "Tower, did you see that?" The air traffic control tower immediately began diverting other incoming flights from the airport as the full scale of the disaster became apparent.US Senator Ted Cruz said there were fatalities after a PSA Airlines regional jet collided midair with a helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.In a statement on X, Cruz said: " While we don’t yet know how many on board were lost, we know there are fatalities."Cruz did not provide details or give the source of his information.Search and Rescue OperationsEmergency response teams from various agencies, including the US Park Police, DC Metropolitan Police Department, and US military personnel, have been actively involved in a search-and-rescue mission in the Potomac River. Fireboats were dispatched by DC Fire and EMS, and inflatable rescue boats were launched along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport, to assist in locating potential survivors.The Washington Fire Department confirmed that a small aircraft had gone down in the river near the airport. Although no immediate casualties have been confirmed, the scene remains chaotic, with emergency teams working diligently to respond to the situation.President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation, with his press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming that federal and local law enforcement agencies are collaborating in rescue efforts. Vice President JD Vance took to social media, expressing his thoughts and encouraging prayers for those affected. He shared on X, “We’re monitoring the situation, but for now, let’s hope for the best.”American Airlines' StatementAmerican Airlines also acknowledged the incident, stating on social media that they were aware of reports that one of their flights may have been involved. They assured the public that they would release more information once available.— AmericanAir (@AmericanAir) Visual EvidenceVideo footage captured by an observation camera at the Kennedy Center nearby appeared to show two sets of lights—presumably from the two aircrafts—before they merged into a fireball. The airport released a statement acknowledging that emergency personnel were responding to the scene of the "aircraft incident on the airfield."— aletweetsnews (@aletweetsnews) The accident has brought to mind a previous, tragic incident. On January 13, 1982, an Air Florida flight crashed into the Potomac River, killing 78 people. That crash was blamed on bad weather conditions, but the current incident has no such indications, and no further details have been released at this time.The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently gathering more information to determine the cause of the collision, while the search-and-rescue efforts continue. At present, all takeoffs and landings from Reagan National Airport have been temporarily halted to allow emergency operations to proceed without obstruction.