There were 64 people on board the plane and the three soldiers in the Army helicopter, according to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
First responders are battling cold and windy conditions as they work to recover bodies from the Potomac River in near-freezing temperatures.
The passenger plane was American Airlines Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet was due to land at the airport Wednesday night when it collided midair with the US Army helicopter as it approached Runway 33, according to the FAA and defense officials.
The US Army Black Hawk helicopter was on a training flight at the time, Joint Task Force-National Capitol Region media chief Heather Chairez told CNN.
Women embrace in the reception area at The Skating Club of Boston on Thursday. Several members of the figure skating community were aboard the jet, returning from a developmental camp in Wichita, US Figure Skating said. The Skating Club of Boston named six victims, including Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the 1994 world champions in pairs. Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Emergency response units operate near the US Capitol on Thursday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser attends a media briefing at Reagan National Airport on Thursday. Ting Shen/AFP/Getty Images
People search the crash site on Thursday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
A helicopter flies near the crash site on Thursday. Win McNamee/Getty Images
The control tower is seen at Reagan National Airport on Thursday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Travelers pass through Reagan National Airport on Thursday. Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Emergency workers are seen on a runway at the airport as rescue crews search the waters of the nearby Potomac River on Thursday. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
The crash is the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since November 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed in New York, killing all 260 people on board. Mark Schiefelbein/AP
First responders make their way to the wreckage in the Potomac River early on Thursday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
An emergency response team loads diving equipment on a boat Thursday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
People walk past an emergency alert at Reagan National Airport on Thursday. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Emergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River early on Thursday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
A person watches emergency service vehicles operate near the site of the crash on Wednesday, January 29. Carlos Barria/Reuters
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