An American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter outside Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. Wednesday night. A D.C. fire official said Thursday that “we don't think there are any survivors from this accident" and "we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.

A retired pilot condemned president Donald Trump's comments about the midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and U.S. Army helicopter. The president opened his White House briefing Thursday with a moment of silence and a brief prayer before launching an attack against diversity hiring and Democratic officials.