Live video: Scene of plane crash near Washington’s Reagan Airport

A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.

Here’s what we know so far:

• What caused the collision? That’s unclear. The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair collision occurred around 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter while on approach to an airport runway. The helicopter was on a training flight, an official told the Associated Press.
• Are there casualties? There were multiple fatalities, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews hunt for survivors. American Airlines says 60 passengers and 4 crew members were on the plane. Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter, an Army official said.
• What’s the latest on the search efforts? All takeoffs and landings from the airport are halted while helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region fly over the scene. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River, and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area.

The Associated Press is providing live video of the scene of the plane crash near Washington’s Reagan Airport: