But even before the National Transportation Safety Board completes its investigation—a neurotically thorough process that will probably take about a year, and thus meshes poorly with the news cycle and the conspiracy-theorist cycle—it is easy to see some of the lines of inquiry that crash detectives will pursue.

The Army identifiies two soldiers aboard the Black Hawk that collided midair with American Airlines plane on Wednesday. Third soldier's ID being held.

The Wall Street Journal examined flight route and elevation data to show the moments before American Airlines Flight 5342 fatally collided with ​an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The US Federal Aviation Administration will restrict helicopter traffic around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a deadly crash earlier this week.

Upon first approach, Republic Airways Flight 4514 diverts from course, circles around, and lands during a second attempt at Reagan National Airport.

An American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter outside Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. Wednesday evening. Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter and a massive search and rescue operation is now unfolding in the Potomac River.