Airport preferred by Washington lawmakers and lobbyists lies in some of the most congested airspace in the country.

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A small aircraft crashed in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport late Wednesday, and fire boats were on the scene, the Washington fire department said.

There is at least one casualty after a helicopter crash at a major airport tonight. All runways have been shutdown and all departures and landings have been halted at the DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

“It is the American airport,” said Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), who said Reagan National isn’t just the most convenient airport for lawmakers. “It’s the place where citizens all over the country come to lobby their members of Congress, their US senators on issues of extreme importance to them.”

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

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Multiple Texas representatives have released statements Wednesday night after a plane collided with a military helicopter, causing it to crash near the Ronald Reagan Washington National airport. Ronald Reagan Washington National airport has closed all runways, and stopped air traffic in the area.

Officials said a search and rescue operation is underway, adding there is no information on any casualties at this time.

A multi-agency search and rescue operation is underway in the Potomac River after a small American Airlines aircraft collided with an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport, authorities confirmed.

As the American Eagle Flight 5342, a CRJ jet, approached the helicopter, the tower controller asked the helicopter pilot if he had the CRJ in sight. The helicopter pilot cannot be heard responding to the question before the two aircraft collided.

A small aircraft crashed in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport late Wednesday, and fire boats were on the scene, the Washington fire department said.