WASHINGTON: 19 people have died in the collision between a passenger flight and a military helicopter in the United States. Reports said among the dead include athletes, coaches and their families.

The plane was reportedly returning home from the National Development Camp, a training camp in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships. Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also on the plane. The crash occurred at around 9 pm Wednesday when an American Airlines plane collided with the military helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport in Washington.

American Airlines Flight 5342 was coming from Kansas. The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members at the time of the crash. The accident occurred as it approached the Potomac River near the airport. A search is currently underway in this river. Authorities said 19 bodies have been recovered so far and the search is ongoing. The final death toll in the crash has not been determined, but it is unlikely that anyone will survive. It is the deadliest commercial flight accident in the United States in 16 years. Authorities said all takeoffs and landings at Ronald Reagan Airport have been temporarily suspended following the crash.