The Schrocks regularly made the trip. Their roots and large farm were in Kiowa, Kan., but after their daughter, Ellie, moved east for college, the Schrocks bought a home in Maryland and began splitting their time between the Plains and the coast, friends said.

Authorities believe there are no survivors in the accident, which happened as a regional passenger jet was attempting to land Wednesday night at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Air traffic controllers asked Flight 5342 to switch runways when coming in to land. Black box recordings from the jet and the military helicopter it collided with will help reveal whether this contributed to the accident.

An American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night. Officials have not provided a death toll but said all passengers and crew on both flights were feared dead.

The NTSB confirmed all major wreckage from the January 29 mid-air collision between an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, DC, has been recovered. The wreckage is being analyzed to determine the cause,