Mapping the collision between a passenger plane and Black Hawk helicopter

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images via CNN Newsource

By Renée Rigdon, Matt Stiles and Lou Robinson

(CNN) — A commercial passenger plane bound for Ronald Reagan National Airport collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River just outside of Washington, DC, on Wednesday night. There were 64 people on board the aircraft and three people in the helicopter. No one is believed to have survived the collision, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said Thursday.

Experts say both the pilots of American Airlines Flight 5342 and the military pilots in the Black Hawk would have had experience navigating the complex airspace, and the head of the nation’s air traffic controllers union said it’s too soon to speculate on a cause.

Here is what we know, so far, in maps:

American Airlines flight 5342 took off from Wichita, Kansas bound for Washington. The collision occurred on the plane’s final approach to land at Reagan airport.

The American Airlines aircraft, with a limit of up to 78 passengers depending on the carrier’s configuration, was near capacity at the time of the collision with 64 people on board, including crew members.

This is a developing story. Click here for the latest updates.

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