Hundreds of responders have removed at least 28 bodies from the icy waters of the Potomac River after a deadly plane crash, according to officials as of Thursday morning.

One onlooker said that he initially “didn’t think much of it” and thought the collision resembled “shooting stars.”

One of the worst nightmares for travelers might have just happened. An American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas (Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport – ICT) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) appears to have crashed into the Potomac River.

Through maps, videos, photos and radio transmissions, CNN is piecing together what occurred during the deadly, midair collision.

An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday evening, U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News.

Footage of an American Airlines plane colliding with an Army Black Hawk helicopter shows the terrifying moment the two aircrafts crashed into one another on Wednesday.

An American Airlines flight collided with a helicopter in midair as it approached DCA on Wednesday, the FAA said.

DC Fire and EMS say, on Wednesday night a small plane went down near the airport landing in the Potomac River. FAA is saying a military helicopter collided with American Airlines flight 5342 Wednesday, around 9 p.m. as it was landing at DCA. DC Police have confirmed that it was not one of their helicopters involved in the crash.

The PNP confirmed that Police Col. Pergentino Malabed Jr., chief of the PNP Supply Management Division was among the casualties.

A deadly midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital is bringing renewed focus on the federal agency charged with investigating aviation disasters.

The plane collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac, killing 67 people. The four-member plane crew was based in Charlotte.