Bill Pearce, a commercial pilot from Maryland who has worked for several major airlines, says flying in and out of Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. is tough for pilots and air traffic control.

RICHMOND, Va. ( WWBT /Gray News) - A retired pilot gave a first-hand view of what it’s like to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Chuck Smith says he has made that approach and landing hundreds of times in his career. He shared a video showing what it looks like to fly near Washington, D.C., and over the Potomac River.

Leaders across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region, as well as federal lawmakers, are reacting to the tragic American Airlines plane crash near DCA.

Maryland leaders are reacting after a passenger jet collided with a helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport.

The crash near Reagan National Airport has renewed questions about the airport's flight load, considering its small size, among other issues.

Twenty-seven bodies had been recovered from the downed plane, a Bombardier CRJ700 operated by PSA Airlines, and one had been recovered from the helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60, said the D.C. Fire and EMS Chief.