We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital.

An American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. army Black Hawk helicopter crashed over the Potomac River on Wednesday night, resulting in dozens of casualties

There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport were halted as dive teams scoured the site and helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in a methodical search for bodies.