For updates on the collision and search for survivors, follow NPR's live coverage.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Officials say 28 bodies have been recovered so far after a regional passenger jet carrying 64 people collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night. The plane was approaching a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
A webcam at the nearby John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts showed a small aircraft, colliding with the passenger jet at a low altitude, followed by a bright explosion.
Within minutes, emergency crews rushed to the scene, as helicopters and fireboats began scanning the frigid Potomac River near the airport for survivors. About 300 first-responders were involved in the search and rescue effort.
Authorities believe there are no survivors
John Donnelly, the chief of Washington D.C.'s Fire and EMS, told reporters Thursday morning that "we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation."
Donnelly said some 300 responders worked through the night in "extremely frigid conditions."
The medical examiner's office has taken the lead on reuniting the victims with their loved ones.
Donnelly said responders will continue working to recover the rest of the bodies.
American Airlines said there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the jet, a Bombardier CRJ-700. The Pentagon told NPR that the Army Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three soldiers and was based in Fort Belvoir, Va.
"I'd like to express our deep sorrow about these events," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a video message. "This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines. And our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones."
The jet, operating as American Eagle Flight 5342, had departed from Wichita, Kan., and was attempting to land on Runway 33 at Reagan airport (DCA).
Reagan National Airport will reopen at 11 a.m. ET
Speaking at a Thursday morning news conference at the airport, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO John Potter said the airport would reopen after a ground stop was implemented in the wake of the collision.
"Last night I expressed the fact that we hope to open at 11 today, and that is still the case," Potter said. "It's safe. We've worked with all the federal agencies, FAA. And, you know, it's been determined that we can open that airport safely."
Russian world champion figure skaters are among the crash victims
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters that Russian World Champions — and husband and wife — Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were on board the flight that crashed.
"Yes, we see that the sad news is true. And there were other of our citizens," said Peskov, whose wife is a champion figure skater herself.
Naumov and Shishkova were on both the Soviet and Russian figure skating teams and won the World Championships in pairs figure skating in 1994.
They moved to the U.S. in 1998 and appear to have stayed involved in the sport: They are both listed as coaches on the website of the Skating Club of Boston.
"The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders," Donnelly said at a press briefing at the airport early Thursday morning.
"The water that we're operating in is about 8 feet deep. There is wind. There are pieces of ice out there," Donnelly said. "So it's just dangerous and hard to work in. And because there's not a lot of lights, you're out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody. Divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark. It is murky. And that is a very tough condition for them to dive in."
Both U.S. senators from Kansas also spoke at the airport briefing.
"This is a time when women will have to join arms together and and help each other out," said Sen. Roger Marshall. "We've been through things like this before, through tornadoes and floods and things, but it's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously."
The state's other Republican senator, Jerry Moran, said American's nonstop flights from Wichita to Reagan airport began about a year ago.
"I know that flight. I've flown it many times myself. I lobbied American Airlines to begin having a direct, nonstop flight service to DCA," Moran said. "And it is certainly true that in Kansas and in Wichita, in particular, we're going to know people who are on this flight, know their family members, know somebody."
The airspace in and around Washington, D.C.'s, Reagan National Airport is particularly challenging for pilots and air traffic controllers alike, according to an aviation expert speaking with NPR's Morning Edition.
Officials in Wichita have activated an "incident family support team" at the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. Some family members of those on board Flight 5342 were there meeting with a chaplain Wednesday night.
In a statement from the White House, President Trump said, "I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise."
The last major commercial airplane accident in the U.S. occurred in 2009, when a Colgan Air flight crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., killing a total of 50 people (49 passengers and crew, and one person inside a house).
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board said they are investigating.
This is an evolving story and will be updated.
NPR's Brian Mann and Jennifer Ludden contributed to this report.
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