Source: CNN citing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Defense, and other government agencies of the United States
Details: The aircraft that crashed was operating flight 5342 for American Airlines and was a regional Bombardier CRJ700, which had departed earlier that day from Wichita, Kansas. There were 60 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
"Many agencies are currently working on this response, with both federal and local law enforcement collaborating on-site to try to save as many lives as possible," said White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt.
Preliminary information indicates that during its approach for landing, the airplane collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which had a crew of three and was not carrying any VIP passengers. The helicopter had taken off from Fort Belvoir, an Army base in Virginia.
Reports state that following the collision, the passenger plane and helicopter fell into the Potomac River near the airport. A large-scale search and rescue operation involving divers is ongoing at the scene.
Reagan National Airport is temporarily closed due to the emergency.
Updated: A source within law enforcement told CNN that there are confirmed casualties, and rescuers have not yet retrieved any survivors from the water.
Word for word: "The plane is lying in the water in pieces, and the helicopter is in the water nearby."