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

Agnes Seals edited this page 2025-02-11 10:47:51 +02:00

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

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

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

Washington crash: Follow the current updates

Federal investigators have actually recovered the black boxes from the guest jet, employment while authorities were still browsing for similar gadgets in the helicopter.

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

The detail, initially reported by the New york city Times, has actually been confirmed to Sky News' US partner NBC News by a source familiar with the investigation.

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It suggests a single controller was managing both plane and helicopter traffic in the location when the 2 airplane clashed.

It is permitted - but not ideal - for one controller to do both tasks, NBC News reported.

The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying 3 soldiers, soon before 9pm regional time on Wednesday.

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

'Em ergency automobiles sped past me'

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

Hamaad Raza informed NBC News his wife of two years, Asra, had actually "texted me [and] said, 'We're landing in 20 minutes'".

" I was waiting and I started seeing a lot of EMS vehicles speeding past me ... method too numerous, [more] than regular and my texts weren't going through."

Trump makes unproven variety drive claim

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

It has actually given that been stated there is no proof to support the US president's claim.

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

At a White House press instruction on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump had signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of FAA working with choices made during 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 typical", according to a preliminary FAA report.

The tower usually has a controller who focuses specifically on helicopter traffic - but 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 along with accreditation of personnel and aircraft, is without a long-term administrator. Its previous boss Michael 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 actually 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 likewise forced to react to Boeing's security and quality problems, and worked to work with more air traffic controllers due to a lack of staff.

Read more:. Washington DC airplane crash: What we understand so far. Air traffic control service heard diverting airplanes moments after collision

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

" We need to have our most intelligent individuals," he said. "They need to be naturally gifted geniuses."

Mr Trump included: "The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer serious intellectual impairments, psychiatric problems, and other psychological and physical conditions under a diversity and addition hiring initiative defined on the agency's website."

The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, saying in a statement on X: "FAA employees with specials needs did not trigger [the] awful plane crash.

" The investigation into the crash is still continuous. It is extremely inappropriate for the president to utilize this catastrophe 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 last week, he signed an executive order which "restored the greatest standards of air traffic controllers".

At a later instruction, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He answered: "It might have, I don't know.