President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration wasted no time in pointing fingers, advancing politically contentious claims even before evidence could be analyzed.

According to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, both the helicopter and the American Eagle flight were in a "standard flight pattern" as the latter was on final approach to DCA. The collision and crash reportedly led to the CRJ700 separating into three pieces and inverted underwater.

There are no survivors after an American Airlines flight collided with an Army Black Halk helicopter and fell in the Potomac River.

All 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter were feared dead in what was likely to be the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said Thursday.

Sixty passengers and four crew members from the plane and three Black Hawk helicopter personnel are feared dead as a recovery mission is underway.