DALLAS — Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will likely be studying three main elements as they try to pinpoint the cause of the mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and the U.S. Army helicopter on Wednesday night.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the airline has activated its care team to assist in recovery efforts after one of its jets collided with a helicopter.

American Airlines will temporarily suspend three routes to Europe this summer and again push back the introduction of its new Flagship Suite business class as a result of the latest delivery delays plaguing the Boeing 787.

Aviation experts have warned for years about near collisions at airports around the US, citing air traffic control shortages and airspace congestion.

While landing at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC on Wednesday shortly before 9 p.m., American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River.

An American Eagle jet and an Army helicopter collided over Washington on Wednesday night. The number of casualties is unclear, and a search-and-rescue mission is ongoing.

There are no expected survivors after an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air in D.C.

American Airlines has said anyone who believes their loved ones were on board American Eagle Flight 5342 can call toll-free at 800-679-8215 for information.

In 1949, a passenger plane and a military craft collided near Washington DC, launching a grim recovery effort in the Potomac River.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC) rose 0.3%, while S&P 500 ( ^GSPC) moved up 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI) hovered around the flatline, in the wake of a losing day on Wall Street.

Robert Isom said said airline is focused on passengers, crew members, first responders, families and loved ones.