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

Both airplane crashed into the Potomac River after the accident. Some 300 personnel were sent out to the scene, but the rescue quickly became a recovery objective 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 guest jet, while authorities were still searching for comparable 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 supervisor had actually let a controller leave their shift early.

The information, initially reported by the New york city Times, has been verified to Sky News' US partner NBC News by a source familiar with the examination.

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It means a single controller was handling both airplane and helicopter traffic in the area when the 2 airplane collided.

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

The American Airlines jet was bring 60 passengers and four team when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, employment bring 3 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 among the most tightly managed airspaces worldwide.

'Em ergency automobiles sped past me'

A male whose other half was on the flight has actually 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 better half of two years, Asra, had "texted me [and] stated, 'We're landing in 20 minutes'".

" I was waiting and I began seeing a bunch of EMS lorries speeding past me ... method 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 diversity drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous federal governments to the crash.

It has given that been said 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 air travel less safe.

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

While Mr Trump's claim appears to have been exposed, 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 typically has a controller who focuses particularly on helicopter traffic - however at the time of the crash, a source said, one controller was overseeing both plane and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which manages air traffic control as well as certification of workers and airplane, lacks a permanent 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 designated an acting administrator, Chris Rocheleau, employment in the wake of the crash.

Mr Whitaker had actually encountered 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 security and quality problems, and worked to employ more air traffic controllers due to a lack of personnel.

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

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

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

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

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

" The examination into the crash is still continuous. It is incredibly unsuitable 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 stated 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 contributed. He addressed: "It might have, I do not understand.