Bill Pearce, a commercial pilot from Maryland who has worked for several major airlines, says flying in and out of Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. is tough for pilots and air traffic control.

An American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, with no survivors expected.

The airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has long been problematic due to heavy military and commercial flight activity in the nation’s capital, according to industry insiders.

Maryland leaders are reacting after a passenger jet collided with a helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport.

The crash near Reagan National Airport has renewed questions about the airport's flight load, considering its small size, among other issues.

The deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., has reignited concerns over air traffic congestion and safety risks at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a tightly packed aviation hub that shares airspace with military and government flights.

As many as 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard American Eagle Flight 5342, and the Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.

While officials have not said how many people died or were injured, the crash has already taken an emotional toll on the local communities.

We’ve been pretty plain about our [safety] concerns, but it isn’t a good time to speculate right now,’ Senator Tim Kaine said Thursday

The plan to add five incoming and five outgoing flights was included in the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act last year.

A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., sending the aircraft plummeting into the Potomac River and killing everyone on board.