The last major collision of a commercial U.S. airline dates back to 2009, when a Colgan Air incident left 50 dead near Buffalo, New York. Federal regulators tightened safety requirements following the crash, including bolstering aircraft carrier inspection requirements and pilot training hours.

Fatal crashes of commercial aircraft in the U.S. have become a rarity. The deadliest recent crash was in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. All 45 passengers and the four crew members were killed when the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashed into a house. One person on the ground also was killed.

After an all-night search-and-rescue operation in frigid conditions and heavy winds on the icy Potomac, officials pivoted Thursday morning to recovery operations.

An American Airlines flight crashed into military Black Hawk helicopter late Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport. Here are the most recent fatal incidents prior to the crash