If changes aren't made, that near-miss becomes a mid-air collision,” one aviation safety expert said. “Unfortunately, that's what we had last night.”

An American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter outside Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. Wednesday evening. Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter and a massive search and rescue operation is now unfolding in the Potomac River.

An aircraft is down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, authorities said after a suspected collision late Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if there are fatalities. Video circulating on X appeared to show a midair collision.