American Airlines said it was in contact with authorities and assisting with response efforts. The company said its concern was “for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft.”
What we know about the helicopter
The Army confirmed that the helicopter was a Black Hawk operating out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Preliminary indications are that three people were on board the helicopter and that it was on a training flight, an Army official said.
What we know about the search for survivors
Search-and-rescue teams are at the Potomac River. NBC Washington has reported that crews have recovered the bodies of people who died in the crash, citing two sources close to the recovery efforts.
Officials have not yet said how many casualties there are.
The flight carried several elite figure skaters from both the U.S. and Russia who were traveling back from a competition in Wichita.
Two Russian world champions were also among the passengers on the American Eagle flight, Russian state media reported.
U.S. Figure Skating said the athletes were returning from a training camp in Wichita, Kansas.
