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Fairfax County sent dozens of first responders and specialized units to the Potomac River after an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport, leaving officials fearing there were no survivors.

The plane, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, struck the helicopter at about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday while descending toward the airport. The collision triggered a major regional response involving Fairfax County police, firefighters and emergency-management personnel.

The Fairfax County Police Department deployed its Fairfax One helicopter, Marine Patrol Unit and dive team through a regional mutual-aid agreement. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue sent 22 units and 68 personnel, while the Department of Emergency Management and Security helped support the team coordinating the response.

County Director of Public Affairs Tony Castrilli said Fairfax officials remained in close contact with regional partners and would continue assisting recovery operations. He also extended the county’s sympathies to the victims, their families and others affected.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay pledged continued help for the operation and support for the first responders involved.

The National Capital Area Mutual Aid Agreement enabled public-safety agencies across the Washington region to mobilize quickly. Rodney Lusk, chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments board and Fairfax County’s Franconia District supervisor, credited the agreement with helping agencies deliver a coordinated response.

Airport operations disrupted

The collision halted flights at Reagan National, sending some incoming aircraft to other airports, including Dulles International Airport.

A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson said Dulles had enough capacity to absorb the additional traffic without disrupting its normal operations. No further diversions were reported Thursday morning.

Metro extended Silver Line service between Dulles and Metro Center during the ground stop. Shuttle buses carried passengers from Metro Center to Reagan National so they could retrieve parked vehicles.

Flights at Reagan National resumed at 11 a.m. Thursday, and airport roads and terminals reopened. Some flights remained delayed or canceled, and travelers were advised to contact their airlines for current information.

Figure skating community suffers losses

All 60 passengers and four crew members aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 were believed to have died, according to a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report.

Among the passengers were 14 figure skaters, coaches and relatives returning from a national development camp held by U.S. Figure Skating after the 2025 Prevagen Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

The victims included members of the Skating Club of Boston and several people connected to Northern Virginia. Among them was Inna Volanskaya, a coach at Ashburn Ice House in Loudoun County, as well as members of the Fairfax-based Skating Club of Northern Virginia.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, whose 10th District includes Loudoun County and parts of Fairfax County, confirmed that Volanskaya was aboard the plane. He said some victims had previously attended Loudoun County Public Schools.

Vienna native Ilia Malinin, who trains at SkateQuest in Reston, said he was heartbroken by the deaths of fellow skaters. Malinin had just won his third consecutive national men’s singles title at the championships, held Jan. 20-26.

SkateQuest assistant general manager Anthony Lamirata said some of the Reston rink’s coaches had worked with or knew coaches aboard the flight.

Ross Lansel, a SkateQuest coach and Volanskaya’s former husband, described her as one of the best skaters he had seen and said the loss was especially painful because of her influence on other skaters.

American Airlines established a toll-free assistance line at 800-679-8215 for people who believed a loved one was aboard the flight.

Fort Belvoir helicopter was on training mission

Recovery crews were also searching for three soldiers aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

The aircraft belonged to the 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, and was conducting a training mission when the collision occurred.

Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, commander of the Army’s Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, said assisting recovery efforts was the Army’s immediate priority. He pledged full cooperation with the agencies investigating the collision and said the Army would release accurate information as it became available.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army.