Authorities say that 28 people have been identified following Wednesday's fatal air crash near Washington DC, and expect to find all the bodies of the victims - so far, the remains of 41 have been recovered
Helicopter traffic around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been restricted, which Secretary Sean Duffy says will ensure the safety of plane and helicopter traffic
President Trump says the helicopter involved "was flying too high" - but does not provide any evidence to back up the claim
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president "based that statement on the truth" from briefings he has received
An investigation is under way to establish what caused the collision between the US army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane, killing 67 people
Investigators have already recovered the flight data recorders, known as black boxes, from the wreckage of the passenger plane - a preliminary report into the crash will be issued in 30 days
Ros Atkins on... the Washington DC plane crash
Rachel Looker
Reporting from Reagan National Airport
I just drove from West Potomac Park and headed to the airport. I passed several more emergency vehicles on the highway.
Ramps to the airport were closed in both directions. Police are parked at the entrances with large signs that read “airport closed” in all caps.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said in an official statement he had been "fully briefed". Less than four hours after the crash, he posted on his Truth Social platform.
"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport," Trump wrote.
"The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing.
"Why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.
"This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Watch local officials give an update on the latest details on the Washington DC plane crash.
Watch: Officials give update on Washington DC plane crash
Reporters are also asking about the scope of the rescue operation and what to expect in coming days.
When asked about how long an investigation might take, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser says there is no timeline on the investigation and that first responders will be on the water for as long as it takes to find those who were on the aircraft.
Responding to a reporter's question, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly says boats were quick to find one of the aircraft in the river. He says he was actually listening to the radio when the call came in.
When asked about survivors, the fire chief says it's unclear if there are any but that first responders are working to find the victims.
"We don't know if there are survivors," he says.
Donnelly says that while first responders' first priority is to look for survivors, they will also be working with the National Transportation Safety Board to help preserve evidence.
"We will re-evaluate where we are with a rescue operation in the morning, when we get a better sense of it," he says.
A reporter asks whether newly confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been in touch with the air traffic controllers who were in the control room at the time of the crash.
Duffy says he has not.
He goes on to say he's only been transportation secretary for little over a day, having been confirmed on Tuesday, and that his focus is on the victims.
This tragedy is touching everyone, he says.
Asked about President Donald Trump's reaction to the incident, Duffy says he was not in the situation room but that he can say the president is incredibly concerned about the situation and has been on the phone with him and federal officials.
He says Trump will commit all resources to help.
When asked about the challenges rescuers are facing, Washington DC's emergency chief John Donnelly notes the freezing and dark conditions in the water.
"There is wind. There are pieces of ice in the water... And because there is not a lot of light, you are out there searching every square inch of space," he says.
"These are very tough conditions for [rescuers] to dive in," he adds.
Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority president Jack Potter says 19 aircrafts in the air were diverted away from Reagan to Dulles International Airport nearby.
He says the response teams are in a rescue mode, and they will stay in a rescue mode.
Potter says the teams will continue to work through the night, and Reagan Airport will be closed until at least 11:00 EST (1700 GMT) on Thursday.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is asked about how many people have been rescued or recovered, and says she can only confirm that there were 64 passengers on the flight.
As she's pressed about comments that were made about families losing loved ones, she notes she didn't make such comments.
When pressed again, she moves on to another reporter's questions.
Authorities have not yet given an official casualty count, though the BBC's US partner CBS News has reported that police have said 18 bodies have been recovered.
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall is next to speak.
He says when one person dies it's "a tragedy", but when many people die it's "an unbearable sorrow", a "heartbreak beyond measure".
He says he and fellow Kansas Senator John Moran are here "to say we care". "We wish there was more we could do."
He addresses "folks back home", saying now is the time "when we all have to join arms together and help each other out".
He says it's likely that more than 60 lives have been lost. Officials have not announced an official casualty count yet.
"We have really a serious and sad situation," says Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, who sits on the Senate subcommittee for aviation safety.
The US Congress will be investigating what happened, he says.
"We're praying that our responders are safe, and folks who are on that flight are recovered," Moran says, adding that he had flown that flight travelling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington DC "many times myself".
"We're going to know people on this flight... This is a very personal circumstance," he says.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy thanks first responders, saying they have been working under very difficult circumstances in the rescue operation.
He says he spoke to President Donald Trump and his team. He says the Department of Transportation will offer full support to those on the ground, to the mayor and to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is going to be conducting the investigation into this crash.
Duffy (centre) says he has spoken to Donald Trump
John Donnelly, chief of the fire and emergency services department in Washington DC, says the rescue response is a highly complex operation and "the conditions out there are extremely rough".
He says that at 20:58 EST (01:58 GMT), first responders appeared at the scene and found an aircraft in the water.
There are currently 300 responders on the river, working off of boats from around the region.
Image source, Getty Images
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser starts the press conference, calling tonight's event "very tragic".
She says emergency services from across the Washington metropolitan region are "working diligently" in "very dark and cold conditions" to execute the rescue operation on the Potomac River after the plane crash.
Bowser says American Airlines officials are at the airport and are talking to families. The airline company's leadership is also on the way to DC.
Officials including Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser have appeared for a news conference at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
You can watch it live at the top of this page.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin says first responders from across Northern Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland have mobilised in response to the crash on the Potomac River, which marks the boundary between DC and Virginia.
"I ask everyone to pray for the passengers, crews, their families, and brave first responders," he writes in a post on X.
Rachel Looker
Reporting from East Potomac Park
Image source, EPAI’m watching more and more emergency boats with blue flashing lights travel south on the Potomac River toward the crash.
I just spoke with Michael Flores, who lives in nearby Alexandria, Virginia. He didn’t witness the crash, but heard about it on the news.
"I just gauged the impact of what happened and everything and decided to come," he says.
"My initial thought was more of just, 'How did it happen? How was it allowed to happen?'
"I know it's pretty strict to fly around here. And then the second thought was, 'Is everyone okay?' Hopefully people are okay."
Rachel Looker
Reporting from East Potomac Park
I’m at Hains Point in East Potomac Park - an island between DC and Virginia.
While driving here, I spotted dozens of emergency vehicles headed to the scene. One pick-up truck was towing a small emergency rescue life boat.
This is about as close as I can get to the crash. I’ve been able to approach a fence overlooking the Potomac River.
There are several reporters here with cameras as well as DC and Virginia residents who have come to view the crash scene.
One man I spoke with who lives in DC called it "shocking", adding that he flies out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport all the time.
Image source, American AirlinesThe CEO of American Airlines has expressed his "deep sorrow" about the collision in a video which has been posted to the airline's website.
Robert Isom starts by briefing on a "serious accident" as he confirms details of the aircraft, the 60 passengers and the four crew members on board.
Isom says the airline is coordinating with local, state and federal authorities and "cooperating fully" with the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.
"Anything we can do, we are doing," Isom adds, noting that American Airlines has sent a team to Washington DC and he too will be traveling there.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegesth says tonight's events are "absolutely tragic".
In a post on X, he says search and rescue efforts are ongoing and an investigation has been launched immediately by the army and defence department.
"Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families," he adds.