WASHINGTON—Just after 8:47 p.m. on Wednesday, an air-traffic controller at Reagan National Airport relayed a seemingly ordinary inquiry and instruction: “PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?” he asked a U.

Tragedy struck overnight as an American Airlines (AAL) regional flight collided with a Blackhawk helicopter during a military training

Flight data showed the plane coming from New Orleans looping around Reagan before heading to Baltimore moments after the collision. To jet was rerouted to Baltimore before 8:10 p.m. and landed at about 8:15 p.m., according to FlightAware .

Sixty passengers and four crew members from the plane and three Black Hawk helicopter personnel are feared dead as a recovery mission is underway.