A horrifying mid-air collision between a commercial airliner and a military Black Hawk helicopter sent both aircraft plunging into the icy waters of the Potomac River on Wednesday night, sparking a massive search and rescue effort near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. According to early reports, the aircraft involved in the catastrophic crash was PSA Airlines Flight 5342, a Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-700 operating under American Airlines. The flight had been on its final approach to Reagan National after departing from Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kansas. Onboard were up to 60 passengers, whose fates remain uncertain as emergency teams race against time. A chilling video feed from a webcam at the Kennedy Center captured the devastating moment: a bright fireball erupted mid-air as the two aircraft made contact, illuminating the night sky over Washington, D.C. Witnesses reported hearing a deafening explosion before seeing debris rain down into the Potomac. In response to the tragedy, Ronald Reagan National Airport has suspended all takeoffs and landings, bringing air traffic in and out of the nation’s capital to a complete halt. Emergency boats, helicopters, and dive teams have swarmed the crash site, desperately searching for survivors amid the wreckage and freezing waters. FOLLOW THE YWN LIVE BLOG FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING STORY.  (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)