Washington DC Plane Crash: Authorities Recover 41 Bodies After Mid-air Collision

Authorities have actually recuperated 41 bodies after an aircraft crash in Washington DC.

Sixty-seven people were killed when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter clashed mid-air on Wednesday night. So far, 28 bodies have actually been identified.

Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the crash. Some 300 workers were sent to the scene, however the rescue soon turned into a healing mission as officials said there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the newest updates

Federal investigators have actually recovered the black boxes from the passenger jet, while authorities were still looking for comparable devices in the helicopter.

Meanwhile, amidst concerns over how well the airport’s was staffed on the night of the crash, it’s been verified that an air traffic control service supervisor had actually let a controller leave their shift early.

The information, employment initially reported by the New York Times, has actually been verified to Sky News’ US partner NBC News by a source familiar with the investigation.

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It indicates a single controller was dealing with both aircraft and helicopter traffic in the location when the two aircraft clashed.

It is allowable – however not ideal – for one controller to do both jobs, NBC News reported.

The American Airlines jet was bring 60 guests and 4 team when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, bring 3 soldiers, quickly before 9pm regional time on Wednesday.

Flight 5342 was preparing to arrive at runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with the helicopter in one of the most securely managed airspaces worldwide.

‘Em ergency vehicles sped past me’

A man whose spouse was on the flight has actually recalled how he saw emergency services “speeding past” as he was waiting at the airport to pick her up.

Hamaad Raza informed NBC News his wife of two years, Asra, had actually “texted me [and] stated, ‘We’re landing in 20 minutes'”.

” I was waiting and I began seeing a bunch of EMS lorries speeding past me … method too numerous, [more] than normal and my texts weren’t going through.”

Trump makes unproven variety drive claim

Donald Trump has linked a variety drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous governments to the crash.

It has actually because been said there is no proof to support the US president’s claim.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump recommended the diversity efforts had made flight less safe.

At a White House press rundown on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had signed a memorandum directing an instant assessment of FAA hiring choices made throughout the previous administration.

While Mr Trump’s claim appears to have been unmasked, there are questions over staffing at Reagan Washington National Airport.

NBC News reported staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not regular”, according to an initial FAA report.

The tower usually has a controller who focuses particularly on helicopter traffic – however at the time of the crash, employment a source stated, one controller was overseeing both aircraft and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which manages air traffic control as well as accreditation of workers and airplane, is without an irreversible administrator. Its previous manager Michael Whitaker stepped down on 20 January – the day of Mr Trump’s inauguration.

Follow Trump 100 on your podcast app Mr Trump has appointed an acting administrator, Chris Rocheleau, in the wake of the crash.

Mr Whitaker had clashed with Mr Trump’s confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX rocket launches during his period at the FAA.

Since starting as head of the administration in October 2023, he was likewise forced to respond to Boeing’s safety and quality issues, and employment worked to work with more air traffic controllers due to a lack of staff.

Find out more:.
Washington DC airplane crash: What we understand so far.
Air traffic control heard diverting airplanes minutes after collision

At his rundown, Mr Trump blamed previous president Joe Biden for decreasing standards for air traffic controllers.

” We have to have our most intelligent individuals,” he stated. “They have to be naturally talented geniuses.”

Mr Trump added: “The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual impairments, psychiatric issues, and other psychological and physical conditions under a diversity and addition hiring initiative defined on the firm’s website.”

The American Association of People with Disabilities responded to these claims, stating in a statement on X: “FAA workers with impairments did not cause [the] awful aircraft crash.

” The examination into the crash is still ongoing. It is extremely inappropriate for the president to utilize this catastrophe to press an anti-diversity hiring agenda. Doing so makes all Americans less safe.”

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Mr Trump stated after being sworn in recently, he signed an executive order which “brought back the highest standards of air traffic controllers”.

At a later rundown, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He addressed: “It might have, I do not know.