US figure skater Spencer Lane is suspected to have been onboard the doomed passenger plane.
The teenager, from Boston, posted a photo from the aircraft while still on the runway, preparing to depart from Wichita just 10 hours ago.
He has not been heard from since.
The US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with the American Airlines passenger plane over Washington DC.
Preliminary flight tracking data show their paths converging just south of Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Flight 5342 – carrying 60 passengers and four crew members – was preparing to land on Runway 33 when the incident happened.
The White House is situated about three miles from the site of the crash.
The map below shows where the two aircraft landed in the Potomac River.
Vladimir Putin’s office has confirmed Russian figure skaters and other Russian citizens were on board the plane that crashed in Washington.
Spokesperson for the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, described the incident as a ‘tragedy’ and paid condolences to the families of all the victims.
Russian ice skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board.
Read more about the victims in the crash in Metro’s story here.
Human remains ‘washing up on Potomac riverbank’
The airplane wreckage seen in the Potomac Rive
Human remains and debris are reported to have been washing up on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in Washington.
As many as 19 bodies have been recovered from the freezing water where the passenger jet and helicopter plunged into after the crash.
CBS News reported that the plane broke into multiple pieces that are currently sitting in 5-8 feet of water.
Meanwhile, the helicopter appears to have landed upside down but appears to be mostly intact.
American Airlines plane black box reportedly recovered
Emergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River
One of the two data recorders – the so-called black boxes – have been recovered from the American Airlines plane, it has been reported.
As part of the search and rescue operation, divers have also been tasked with finding the recorders.
They records all flight data and are expected to help authorities find out what really happened in the moments before the disaster.
Russian figure skaters’ heartbreaking Instagram post day before crash
Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov’s praised their son in their last post on Instagram, just a day before the American Airlines plane they were travelling on crashed in Washington.
The Russian couple are believed to be among the 64 passengers and crew on board the aircraft en route to Kansas.
A day before the incident, they praised their son Maxim for ‘getting on the podium’ at an ice skating championship.
Their post read: ‘Once again, Maxim made us all proud, getting on to the podium at Nationals after 7th place in the short.
‘This beautiful and emotional performance is a result of a team work.
‘Huge thanks to Serhii and Irina Vaypan and of course to Adam Blake for his wonderful choreography of a classic!
‘Maxim has earned his place in the team of 4 Continents.’
Next update on search and rescue at 12.30pm
Hundreds of first responders have been deployed to comb through the Potomac River as part of the search and rescue operation.
Washington mayor Muriel Bowser said the next update about their mission will be provided at 7.30am local time (12.30pm GMT).
She added in a post on X: ‘Tonight, as our first responders continue their efforts, we are sending our love and prayers to the families, loved ones, and communities who are experiencing loss during this terrible tragedy.’
Pictures released of Russian world ice skating champions on board plane
Pictures have been released of former world ice skating champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov who were aboard the plane.
Russian ice skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River in Washington on Wednesday night, Russian state media reported.
Shishkova and Naumov, who were married, won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994 and lived in the United States, where they trained young ice skaters.
Their son Maxim was also feared to have been on board the plane, Russia’s TASS and RIA news agencies reported.
He had been competing at the US figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas from January 20 to 26, according to the event’s website.
The couple were reported to have been returning from the competition and travelling with a group of young skaters.