Washington officials have said that all of the 67 victims from last week’s deadly collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River have been recovered. Now, the death toll of 64 passengers and three crew members aboard both planes is under sharp scrutiny by federal authorities.
Bodies Identified as Recovery Efforts Continue
Rescue teams working in the frigid waters of the Potomac have successfully identified all but one of the recovered remains. In a statement on Tuesday, officials expressed their condolences to the victims’ families.
“Our hearts are with the victims’ families as they navigate this tragic loss,” the statement read. “We extend our deepest condolences and remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time.”
Salvage crews are still working to recover wreckage from the river in an attempt to determine the cause of the nation’s deadliest air disaster in 20 years.
Crash Details and Investigation Progress
It was American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet carrying 64 people, including four crew members, from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National Airport. Onboard, there were seven hunting companions, and 28 individuals returned from an elite figure-skating camp.
There were three soldiers on board the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, operated by the U.S. Army out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia when it crashed and no one survived.
Investigators have successfully recovered two black boxes—a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder—from the jet, as well as a similar device from the Army helicopter. These recordings are expected to provide crucial insights into the moments leading up to the collision.
Questions Surrounding Air Traffic Control
The authorities are instead now looking into whether air traffic control staffing had been a factor in the deadly crash. A report by the FAA indicated that during the night that the crash took place, the control tower at Reagan National was operating with fewer controllers than usual because one controller assumed the duties that are usually required for two and it was pretty unusual given it was nighttime along with the time of heavy and massive air movements.
They are also looking into why the Army helicopter went off its intended course. The aircraft went off track by half a mile and flew higher than planned.
It is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board, which expects to complete the full recovery operations by February 12.
