UPDATED: The Washington Fire department says there are no survivors in the crash between an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter, with 28 bodies recovered so far.
American Airlines Flight 5342, departed from Kansas and operated by PSA Airlines was on its approach to the airport at the time of the collision with the Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members and the helicopter was carrying three soldiers
The body of the plane was found upside down, in three sections in waist-deep water and the wreckage of the helicopter was also found, with a search and rescue then undertaken, co-ordinated between more than 300 people from the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department, fire, emergency medical services and other partner agencies.
However, now officials have said they do not believe there are any other survivors, marking it as the deadliest United States air crash in nearly 24 years, with Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly making the call during a press conference overnight.
National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that while they have yet to find the black boxes they are "comfortable and confident" they will do so.
Sean Duffy US Secretary of Transportation also noted that both aircraft were on “standard pattern” on a clear night.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded flights at the airport and launched an investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board.
Nearby Reagan Airport paused all take-offs and landings, but the terminal remained open.
Video from a webcam at the Kennedy Centre showed a bright light said to be of an explosion at the time of the mid-air collision.