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

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

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

Both airplane crashed into the Potomac River after the crash. Some 300 workers were sent to the scene, however the rescue soon developed into a healing mission as officials 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 browsing for similar gadgets in the helicopter.

Meanwhile, in the middle of questions 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 manager had let a controller leave their shift early.

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

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

It is permitted – however not optimal – for employment one controller to do both tasks, NBC News reported.

The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying 3 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 clashed with the helicopter in one of the most securely managed airspaces on the planet.

‘Em ergency cars sped past me’

A guy whose other half was on the flight has 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 partner of 2 years, Asra, employment had “texted me [and] said, ‘We’re landing in 20 minutes'”.

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

Trump makes unproven diversity drive claim

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

It has given that been said 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 made flight less safe.

At a White House press briefing on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had actually signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of FAA employing decisions 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 normal”, 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 aircraft and helicopter activity.

The FAA, employment which manages air traffic control in addition to accreditation of personnel and airplane, lacks an irreversible administrator. Its former 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 encountered Mr Trump’s confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX throughout his period 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 issues, and worked to work with more air traffic controllers due to a scarcity of personnel.

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Air traffic control heard diverting airplanes minutes after accident

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

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

Mr Trump added: “The FAA is actively hiring workers who suffer extreme intellectual impairments, psychiatric issues, and other psychological and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring effort spelled out on the agency’s website.”

The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, stating in a declaration on X: “FAA staff members with disabilities did not trigger [the] awful airplane crash.

” The examination into the crash is still ongoing. It is extremely improper for the president to use this disaster to push an anti-diversity hiring agenda. Doing so makes all Americans less safe.”

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Mr Trump said after being sworn in last week, he signed an executive order which “brought back the highest requirements of air traffic controllers”.

At a later rundown, he was asked if gender or race played a function. He responded to: “It might have, I do not understand.