Crowds Gathered to Watch Rescue Boats Working on the Dark River.

In the quiet halls of Reagan Airport and from parked cars along the George Washington Parkway, people paused and watched the scene on the Potomac River as rescuers rushed to a small passenger plane that crashed into the water Wednesday night.The plane, a Bombardier CRJ700 with about 65 seats, was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines when it collided with a military helicopter at around 9 p.m.and crash-landed into the river, according to officials.Along the George Washington Parkway, which runs next to the Potomac, dozens of people parked their cars to get a glimpse of rescue boats in the dark, frigid waters.Thumping helicopters crisscrossed the night sky.

Several ambulances were gathered at a police dock in southwest Washington, as flashing lights lit up a bank of the river.From the departure counters at Reagan Airport, grounded passengers could also see a cluster of emergency responders lined up along the river.The airport’s counters were empty of staff.Some frustrated passengers tried to talk to American Airlines agents who were packing up for the day, only to learn that no flights were leaving.Reagan Airport sits on a relatively narrow stretch of land in Northern Virginia just three miles from downtown Washington.

It is a major hub for American Airlines.The airline was supposed to service most of the scheduled flights at the airport on Wednesday night....