By Trevor Hunnicutt, David Shepardson and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Scores of people are feared dead after an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided and crashed into the frigid Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night,

The crash and rescue on the icy river connecting Washington, DC and Virginia had similarities to this one. Five of the 79 aboard the flight survived.

While driving home, Ari Shulman said a "spray of sparks" in the sky caught his attention as he watched in horror the midair collision unfold.

Multiple 911 callers reported the crash near the river just before 8:55 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Police Department and the District of Columbia Fire and EMS.

An American Airlines flight crashed into a U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter over the Potomac River as it approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Recovery crews in Washington, D.C. are facing challenges due to the Potomac River's frigid 35-degree temperatures, which pose risks of cold shock. Training programs emphasize the importance of protective gear and monitoring exposure time to safeguard responders in such extreme conditions.

U.S. commercial pilot Rick Redfern was preparing to land at Reagan Washington National Airport about a decade ago when he spotted a bright red Coast Guard helicopter hovering about 50 feet (15 m) above the Potomac River.

The crew of the Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly collision with a jetliner had thousands of hours of flight experience.

Julie and David Bulitt live in the D.C. area but prefer to fly out of Baltimore’s airport because they feel safer there than at Reagan National. They didn’t let concerns from the crash stop them from flying to Nashville on Thursday for a birthday weekend trip.

An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

None are believed to have survived the Wednesday night collision, which caused both aircraft to plunge into the frigid Potomac River.