By Brian Swint

An American Airlines regional jet crashed near Washington D.C. Wednesday evening after colliding with a military helicopter in midair.

Ronald Reagan National Airport was closed as of early Thursday morning and it wasn't clear when it would reopen.

The airline and government officials were unable to give updates on the 64 passengers onboard the flight or the three people on the helicopter.

It may also have implications for markets, though that appeared to be contained early Thursday. Shares of American Airlines, the largest carrier, fell 2.5% in premarket trading. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, the three next biggest carriers, all rose slightly.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident, which involved a regional jet manufactured by Bombardier and operated by PSA Airlines, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines. It collided with a military Sikorsky H-60 as the flight, which was coming from Wichita, Kansas, while on approach to the runway at Reagan National Airport. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River.

Search and rescue operations are underway. Among the jet passengers were figure skaters, their coaches, and relatives who were returning from a training camp, The Wall Street Journal reported.

American CEO Robert Isom posted a video saying he's heading to Washington as the company and authorities investigate the accident, and that the airline is working to help passengers and their families.

Write to Brian Swint at brian.swint@barrons.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 30, 2025 05:17 ET (10:17 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.