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

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

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

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

Washington crash: Follow the current updates

Federal investigators have actually recuperated the black boxes from the traveler jet, while authorities were still searching for 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 confirmed that an air traffic control service supervisor had let a controller leave their shift early.

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

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It implies a single controller was managing both plane and helicopter traffic in the area when the 2 aircraft collided.

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

The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 guests and four crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, shortly before 9pm local time on Wednesday.

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

‘Em ergency automobiles sped past me’

A guy whose partner was on the flight has remembered 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 started seeing a lot of EMS automobiles speeding past me … method a lot of, [more] than regular and my texts weren’t going through.”

Trump makes unverified diversity drive claim

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

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

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

At a White House press instruction on Friday, employment press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had actually signed a memorandum directing an immediate evaluation of FAA employing decisions 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 regular”, employment 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 stated, one controller was managing both plane and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which controls air traffic control service in addition to certification of personnel and aircraft, is without a long-term administrator. Its former 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 actually 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 also required to react to Boeing’s safety and quality issues, and worked to work with more air traffic controllers due to a shortage of staff.

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Washington DC airplane crash: employment What we know up until now.
Air traffic control service heard diverting planes moments after collision

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

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

Mr Trump included: “The FAA is actively recruiting employees who suffer serious intellectual specials needs, psychiatric issues, and other psychological and physical conditions under a variety and inclusion hiring initiative defined on the agency’s site.”

The American Association of People with Disabilities responded to these claims, saying in a declaration on X: “FAA workers with impairments did not cause [the] tragic plane crash.

” The investigation into the crash is still continuous. It is extremely unsuitable for the president to use this disaster to push an anti-diversity hiring program. 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 “restored the greatest standards of air traffic controllers”.

At a later briefing, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He answered: “It may have, employment I do not know.