An American Airlines plane crashed into the Potomac River near Washington's Reagan National Airport on Thursday after it collided mid-air with a US Army helicopter. Rescue teams have recovered 19 bodies from the river, and efforts to find more survivors are ongoing.

The plane, operated by PSA Airlines, was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington. A US Army official confirmed the involvement of one of its helicopters in the crash. Another official stated that three soldiers were onboard, but their condition remains unclear.

Footage from a nearby observation camera at the Kennedy Centre captured the moment of impact, showing the aircraft colliding and bursting into a fireball.

US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the "terrible accident" near Reagan National Airport. In a statement, he praised the first responders for their "incredible work" and assured that he was "monitoring the situation" while awaiting more details. "May God bless their souls," he added.

Senator Ted Cruz confirmed there were fatalities in the incident, tweeting, "While we don’t yet know how many on board were lost, we know there are fatalities."The cause of the collision is still unclear. Flight data showed the plane was flying at 400 feet and 140 miles per hour before rapidly losing altitude over the Potomac River.

Audio from the air traffic control tower revealed a controller asking the helicopter, “PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?” referring to the passenger jet. Seconds later, another pilot reported, “Tower, did you see that?” following the apparent crash, as reported by the Associated Press.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun an investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board is collecting more information about the crash.Further updates are expected soon.