'Feel a heavy heart for them': Residents left stunned, saddened after Reagan Airport crash

ARLINGTON, Va. — A mid-air collision involving a military jet and passenger jet at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington sent shock waves across the nation, leaving many shocked and saddened after the latest incident involving a commercial airplane.

Dozens of police, ambulance, and rescue units, some ferrying boats, staged along the Potomac River and raced to positions along the tarmac of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Live television images and footage showed several boats in the water, flashing blue and red lights.

Minutes before the crash, Anthony Rosado landed at the airport on another American Airlines flight from Florida. He saw the flash of emergency lights on the tarmac but initially didn’t think much of it.

When he learned his connecting flight to Buffalo, New York, was canceled, Rosado thought it might be due to the weather.

Rosado, 24, said he didn’t realize the gravity of the situation until he got into the terminal, called his wife and learned of the crash.

“She's like, 'That could have been you,'" he said. "It's kind of very surreal. I’m very grateful that that wasn’t me. My heart goes out to those people and their families."

Rosado was among a small group of stranded passengers waiting at the airport early Thursday, some trying to sleep while others waited to reschedule their flights. Rosado said he tried to leave the airport but Uber drivers were unable to pick him up as he couldn’t navigate the Metro due to the heavy police presence.

He had hoped the airline would provide him with a hotel before his 10 a.m. flight, but now he plans to spend the rest of the night here.

"It could be worse," he said.

What we know right now: Plane, helicopter collide near DC's Reagan National Airport.

'I feel a heavy heart for them'

Brisdini Rodriguez, 23, came to the river to observe the scene, calling it a “tragic event.”

“This tragic event means something more than just a plane crash and all those souls that are left unaided,” Rodriguez told Reuters. "I think that this is another opportunity for the country to come together, honestly, to plead for God's mercy."

"I feel a lot of empathy for the family members, and I pray for those souls. I feel a heavy heart for them, a very heavy heart," Rodriguez added.

'That really hurt'

When Arlington resident Habihor Rabby heard about the crash, he and a group of friends decided to observe the search and rescue efforts.

Rabby, 26, said he first tried Hains Point, which was blocked off by police, and then moved to the marina on Daingerfield Island where a sea of flashing lights from emergency vehicles could be seen across the river early Thursday.

Though he frequently flies from Washington, D.C. to Kentucky, Rabby said the incident hasn’t made him nervous about traveling. While officials have not said how many people died or were injured, the crash has already taken an emotional toll on the local communities.

"That really hurt," he said. "It’s really sad."

'Subsequently stalled': 43 years ago, another D.C. plane crash and dramatic rescue on the Potomac River

Contributing: Reuters

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reagan Airport crash: Local residents left stunned and saddened