Three U.S. Army soldiers were onboard a BlackHawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

Additional remains have been recovered from the icy Potomac River as recovery efforts continue following the deadly crash involving an American Airlines passenger plane and an Army helicopter Wednesday night.

The Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet in Washington on Wednesday was on a training flight along a route core to a seldom-discussed military mission to evacuate senior officials to safety in the event of an attack on the U.S., officials say.

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. Sixty-four people were on board the plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas. Three soldiers were on the helicopter.

Officials have positively identified 55 of the 67 people killed in Wednesday's midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac River, Washington,

Families of victims of the deadliest US air disaster since 2001 visited the crash site on Sunday and divers scoured the submerged wreckage for more remains after authorities said they’ve recovered and identified 55 of the 67 people killed.