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

Authorities have recovered 41 bodies after a plane crash in Washington DC.

Sixty-seven individuals were eliminated when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter collided mid-air on Wednesday night. Up until now, 28 bodies have actually been determined.

Both airplane crashed into the Potomac River after the accident. Some 300 personnel were sent out to the scene, however the rescue soon became a healing mission as authorities stated there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the most recent updates

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

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

The detail, employment first reported by the New york city Times, has actually been verified to Sky News’ US partner NBC News by a source acquainted with the examination.

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It implies a single controller was managing both aircraft and helicopter traffic in the location when the two aircraft collided.

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

The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 guests and 4 crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, employment quickly before 9pm local 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 tightly controlled airspaces worldwide.

‘Em ergency lorries sped past me’

A male whose other half was on the flight has actually remembered how he saw emergency situation services “speeding past” as he was waiting at the airport to pick her up.

Hamaad Raza informed NBC News his better half of 2 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 cars speeding past me … method a lot of, [more] than regular and my texts weren’t going through.”

Trump makes unproven variety drive claim

Donald Trump has actually connected a diversity drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous governments to the crash.

It has actually since been stated there is no evidence to support the US president’s claim.

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

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

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

NBC News reported staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not typical”, according to a preliminary FAA report.

The tower typically has a controller who focuses specifically on helicopter traffic – however at the time of the crash, a source said, one controller was managing both airplane and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which manages air traffic control service along with accreditation of workers and aircraft, employment lacks a permanent administrator. Its previous employer 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 encountered Mr Trump’s confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX rocket launches throughout his tenure at the FAA.

Since starting as head of the administration in October 2023, he was also forced to react to Boeing’s security and quality problems, and worked to hire more air traffic controllers due to a scarcity of personnel.

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Washington DC airplane crash: What we understand so far.
Air traffic control heard diverting planes moments after crash

At his briefing, Mr Trump blamed previous president Joe Biden for lowering requirements for air traffic controllers.

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

Mr Trump included: “The FAA is actively hiring workers who suffer severe intellectual impairments, psychiatric problems, and other psychological and physical conditions under a variety and inclusion hiring effort defined on the agency’s website.”

The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, stating in a statement on X: “FAA workers with specials needs did not trigger [the] awful airplane crash.

” The investigation into the crash is still ongoing. It is extremely improper for employment the president to utilize this disaster to push an anti-diversity hiring program. 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 greatest requirements of air traffic controllers”.

At a later instruction, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He addressed: “It might have, I don’t understand.