Many people were killed after a plane collided with an American aircraft with an army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near the province of Colombia.

US Airways said on Thursday that 60 passengers and four crew members were on board that travels from Whitchta, Kansas, to the American capital.

An unveiled army official confirmed that the helicopter, on a training trip, was carrying three lower soldiers from Fort Balfwar in Virginia.

Both planes fell in the Botomac River after collision. The inflatable rescue boats were launched, and rescuers used light towers to shed light on the site.

It is a “very complicated operation.”

“The circumstances there are very approximate for respondents.”

The mayor of the capital, Morel Bousser, also told a press conference at the airport that the rescue efforts were ongoing to “restore his citizens.”

Here is everything we know about the accident:

What happened and when?

At approximately 9 pm local time (02:00 GMT), an internal American aircraft plane (5342 flight), manufactured by the Canadian company Bombardier, collided with a helicopter from the Seikorsky Black Hawk army as it approaches Ronald Reagan airport, located on The length of the Botomac River. Southwest of the capital.

Before the scheduled landing, air traffic controllers asked the pilots whether they could land on the 33rd runway, and aviation tracking sites showed that the pilots have amended their flight path to agree with the request.

Less than 30 seconds before the accident, the air traffic officer asked the army helicopter if it might see the next plane.

Pat25 [army helicopter]Do you have a crj [American Airlines plane] vision? Air Movement Observer said at 8:47 pm (et on Wednesday, 01:47 GMT on Thursday).

At the time of the accident, air traffic observers heard, saying: “Craving, crashing, crashing, this is in a state of alert.”

“I just saw a ball and then he just went. I have never seen anything since they hit the river. Another observer said,” It was CRJ and the helicopter that struck. “

The photos from the air collision, which caught on a webcam at the John F. Kennedy Center for Dramatic Arts in Washington, DC, showed that two planes exploded in fire and fell to the Botomac River.

John Potter, CEO of Metropolitan in Washington, said the airport will remain closed until at least 11 am local time (16:00 GMT).

What do we know about the victims?

The Governing Authority said that many 60 passengers on the plane are skiers in the United States, family members and trainers who return from a camp after the skiing competition. It is believed that all three people on a helicopter are soldiers.

CBS News, cited a law enforcement official, is aware of the investigation, that at least 30 people had been recovered. US government officials did not mention anything about the survivors.

The Russian government news agency TASS reported that the former world skiing heroes on ice skiing, Evjnia Shishkova and Vadim Nomov were among those who were killed.

The Kremlin expressed his condolences to the families of the Russian victims for the accident.

There were others from our citizens on the plane. It is bad news today from Washington. “

While the number of official deaths was not announced, American Senator Roger Marshall suggested from Kansas, where the journey arose, that most of them, if not everything, were killed.

“It is really difficult when you likely lose more than 60 Kansans at one time,” a press conference at Reagan Airport said.

Dypodwin, chief forebift manager at Accoweather, told Reuters that decreased body temperature is a source of concern for anyone who may have survived the accident after the plane crashed into the river.

At these cold water temperatures, the basic temperature of the human body decreases quickly. “Fatigue or subconscious can occur in less than 15 to 30 minutes,” said Depodwin.

What is a Black Hawk helicopter?

Sikorsky Black Hawk is a military transport plane used by the naval, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Aerospace intergalactic said the plane can carry four crew members and “11 to 14 fully armed soldiers … or up to 20 passengers equipped with lightness.”

What are the officials?

President Donald Trump asked about the actions of the army helicopter in a post on the social truth.

The helicopter was traveling directly on the plane for an extended period of time. “It is a clear night, and the lights on the plane were burning, why did the helicopter not rise, rise, or spin,” Trump wrote.

“Why did the helicopter control tower not tell what to do instead of asking whether they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that it should have been prevented. Not good !!!” He added.

Defense Minister Beit Higseth wrote on X that the “immediate” investigation will be launched by the army and the Ministry of Defense in the case of the accident.

Tod Curtis, CEO of Airsafe.com Consulting Company, told Al -Jazeera that the collision is “very unusual”.

“The Washington National Airport, where this event occurred, is one of the most participants in the country, and is well managed by controlling the air,” said Curtis, a former airline safety engineer in Boeing.

“It is surprising to me that something routine for the army has somehow ended in a tragedy. I think there are many things that should be mistaken in this.”