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

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

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

Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the crash. Some 300 workers were sent out to the scene, however the rescue quickly developed into a recovery mission as authorities said there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the most recent updates

Federal private investigators have actually recuperated the black boxes from the traveler jet, while authorities were still searching for similar gadgets 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 air traffic control service manager had actually let a controller leave their shift early.

The detail, first reported by the New York Times, has actually been confirmed to Sky News’ US partner NBC News by a source knowledgeable about the examination.

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It means a single controller was managing both aircraft and helicopter traffic in the area when the 2 airplane clashed.

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

The American Airlines jet was bring 60 travelers and four crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying 3 soldiers, soon before 9pm regional time on Wednesday.

Flight 5342 was preparing to land on runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it hit the helicopter in among the most firmly controlled airspaces on the planet.

‘Em ergency lorries sped past me’

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

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

” I was waiting and I began seeing a lot of EMS vehicles speeding past me … method too many, [more] than typical and my texts weren’t going through.”

Trump makes unproven diversity drive claim

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

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

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump suggested the variety efforts had actually made air travel less safe.

At a White House press briefing on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump had actually signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of FAA hiring decisions made throughout the previous administration.

While Mr Trump’s claim appears to have actually been debunked, 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 a preliminary FAA report.

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

The FAA, which controls air traffic control in addition to certification of personnel and airplane, lacks a long-term administrator. Its former boss Michael Whitaker stepped down on 20 January – the day of Mr Trump’s inauguration.

Follow Trump 100 on your podcast app Mr Trump has actually 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 throughout his period at the FAA.

Since starting as head of the administration in October 2023, he was likewise forced to react to Boeing’s security and referall.us quality issues, and worked to hire more air traffic controllers due to a shortage of staff.

Find out more:.
Washington DC plane crash: What we know so far.
Air traffic control heard diverting airplanes moments after accident

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

” We need to have our smartest people,” he said. “They have to be naturally skilled geniuses.”

Mr Trump added: “The FAA is actively hiring employees who suffer severe intellectual specials needs, psychiatric issues, and other mental and physical conditions under a variety and inclusion hiring effort spelled out on the agency’s site.”

The American Association of People with Disabilities responded to these claims, stating in a declaration on X: “FAA employees with specials needs did not cause [the] terrible aircraft crash.

” The examination into the crash is still ongoing. It is incredibly improper for the president to utilize this disaster to press 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 highest standards of air traffic controllers”.

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