The flight appeared to collide with a helicopter just before it was scheduled to land. This is a developing story and will be updated.

American Airlines flight 5342 from Wichita with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s website tells people to call the airline immediately after a possible crash if they believe their loved one was on board. The NTSB, who is likely to investigate the crash, can also be contacted at [email protected] and 202-314-6185.

Wichita City Council Member J.V. Johnston reacting to the news of a plane taking off from Wichita, bound for DC crashing into the Potomac River, colliding with an Army helicopter. He calls it a tragedy that hits harder due to Wichita's connection to aviation.

An American Airlines flight going from Wichita to Washington, D.C., went down in the Potomac River after colliding with a military Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday. It comes just one year after Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport started offering nonstop flights to Washington.