A search is under way for survivors in freezing conditions after a commercial flight collided with a helicopter and fell into the Potomac River.

Nineteen bodies have so far been recovered, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

You can take a look at how events unfolded - and the emergency response under way - below:

Ana Faguy
US Reporter

I've landed at Reagan or National airport - name depends on who you ask - hundreds of times in the 15 years I've lived in Washington DC.

It's ordinarily a very scenic landing offering plane riders a view of many famous monuments on their way to landing at one of the DC area's three airports.

The runway borders the river so as fliers land many newcomers think something is going wrong. If you've ever flown into New York's LaGuardia Airport or San Francisco International Airport, it's much like that.

Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist

The official temperature at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, midnight local time is around 7C (44F).

But this temperature is expected to continue to drop to a minimum of -1C (30F) through the rest of the night.

However, in the suburbs of the city, the temperature has already dropped below freezing, and the water in the Potomac River is reported to have some ice.

Earlier in the night there was a spell of stronger winds with gusts of 20-30mph (32-48km/h), but those winds are now easing down and it should be calm for the rest of the night.

Into daylight hours in Washington DC, Thursday is expected to be calm and sunny with a maximum temperature of 10C (50F).

We're now seeing reports that two Russian figure skaters and coaches were on board the American Airlines flight 5342, following our recent post on the US Figure Skating's statement that several of their athletes were on the plane.

The reports are coming in from Reuters news agency, which cites Russia's TASS news agency.

We're still awaiting confirmation from officials on fatalities, but a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told the BBC's US partner CBS that authorities have recovered at least 19 bodies so far.

Image source, Getty Images

It's just past 03:00 local time (08:00 GMT) in Washington DC, and the UK is waking up to the news that the US has suffered its first major commercial air crash in 16 years.

Rescuers are currently scouring wreckage in the freezing Potomac River, where a plane carrying 64 people and a helicopter with three military personnel on board crashed after colliding in mid-air.

So far, 19 bodies have been recovered, and US Figure Skating has confirmed that several members of its community were on board - we don't yet know the condition of these passengers.

Donald Trump has reacted to the crash on his TruthSocial platform, where he says it “should have been prevented”.

A little earlier, we heard a short press briefing that left the biggest question unanswered - the number of people killed in the crash. But officials promised to speak again during the daylight hours.

Here's what we learned:

• The rescue operation is large-scale and complex, with 300 first responders on the water, as well as boats and divers from around the region. Rescue efforts are expected to continue all night
• Searchers are dealing with very tough conditions - freezing water, wind and no light. An emergency official described the river as a "big patch of black" and said pieces of ice have been spotted
• Reagan National Airport will now reopen on Thursday, at 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT). Earlier reports suggested it could be closed until Friday morning

Image source, Getty Images

The plane broke into multiple pieces and is now 5-8ft (152-243cm) deep in the water, according to authorities the BBC's US partner CBS News reports.

The dive team has now also found what appears to be one of the two black boxes.

Divers have had some access to the cabin and luggage is among items they have recovered so far, CBS reports.

The report states that the helicopter is upside down but appears to be mostly intact.

Investigators are expected to examine pilot experience in the Washington DC airspace as helicopters are supposed to stay under 200ft (60.9m) when flying around the DC approach.

US Figure Skating - the American governing body for the sport - has confirmed in a statement that several members of its skating community were on board the American Airlines Flight 5342.

"These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas," the statement reads.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."

The 2025 Prevagen US Figure Skating Championships were held in Wichita, Kansas, between 20-26 January.

Authorities have recovered at least 19 bodies, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation tells BBC's US partner CBS.

We've just heard from Geoffrey Thomas, an aviation consultant, who says the US has the safest airline system in the world and "these sorts of things don't happen in the United States anymore".

Thomas tells the BBC that mid-air collisions were supposed to be something of the past, and that new technology has enabled aircraft to electronically talk to each other to warn pilots of such impending collisions.

This is a system called the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which Thomas says has saved tens of thousands of lives in the last few decades.

He adds that all commercial aircraft and most military aircraft are fitted with this technology.

"Technically (the crash) should never have happened. It's perplexing and tragic".

Moments before the crash, an air traffic controller can be heard asking the helicopter if it has the American Airlines passenger jet "in sight", according to CNN.

Another warning is given by air traffic control and seconds later the collision happens.

The audio was published Live ATC, a site that focuses on aviation communications for more than 1,200 airports. It has not been verified by the BBC.

The audio does not appear to include any response from the helicopter to the warnings from air traffic control.

The last major US commercial air crash was in February 2009, when a Continental Airlines flight that departed from Newark, New Jersey, operated by Colgan Air, crashed into a house as it was approaching the airport in Buffalo, New York.

The plane was a Bombardier Q400 and 49 people were killed in the crash.

The most recent large-scale American Airlines crash was in November 2001 near John F. Kennedy International Airport.

American Airlines Flight No 587, an Airbus A300, crashed shortly after take-off, killing 265 people.

The flight was bound for Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and crashed in the Belle Harbor area of the Rockaways in the New York City borough of Queens.

In 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 made a crash landing minutes after it took off from New York City's LaGuardia airport, after both its engines were disabled by a flock of birds.

The pilot decided to glide the plane to ditching on the Hudson River and all 155 passengers and crew were rescued with no fatalities.

Image source, Getty Images

An extensive search and rescue operation is currently under way in the Potomac river.

It is late into the night in Washington DC, and emergency services chief John Donnelly has warned that conditions are "extremely rough" amid little light and icy temperatures.

At the scene, rescue workers can be seen climbing over parts of the commercial flight that had been broken up in the water.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

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.

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.