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 collided mid-air on Wednesday night. So far, 28 bodies have been recognized.
Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the accident. Some 300 personnel were sent out to the scene, however the rescue quickly developed into a healing mission as officials said there were no survivors.
Washington crash: Follow the latest updates
Federal private investigators have actually recovered the black boxes from the guest jet, while authorities were still searching for comparable devices in the helicopter.
Meanwhile, amid 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 supervisor had let a controller leave their shift early.
The detail, initially reported by the New york city Times, has actually been verified to Sky News‘ US partner NBC News by a source acquainted with the investigation.
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It indicates a single controller was handling both plane and helicopter traffic in the location when the two aircraft collided.
It is allowed – but not optimum – for one controller to do both jobs, NBC News reported.
The American Airlines jet was bring 60 travelers and four team when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, soon 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 guy whose better half was on the flight has remembered how he saw emergency situation services „speeding past“ as he was waiting at the airport to choose her up.
Hamaad Raza informed NBC News his wife of 2 years, Asra, had „texted me [and] stated, ‚We’re landing in 20 minutes'“.
“ I was waiting and I started seeing a lot of EMS vehicles speeding past me … way too lots of, [more] than typical and my texts weren’t going through.“
Trump makes unproven diversity drive claim
Donald Trump has connected a diversity drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous governments to the crash.
It has since been stated there is no proof to support the US president’s claim.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump recommended the diversity efforts had actually made air travel less safe.
At a White House press rundown on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of FAA working with decisions made throughout the previous administration.
While Mr Trump’s claim appears to have been exposed, there are concerns over staffing at Reagan Washington National Airport.
NBC News reported staffing in the air traffic control tower was „not regular“, according to an initial FAA report.
The tower generally has a controller who focuses specifically on helicopter traffic – however at the time of the crash, a source stated, one controller was supervising both aircraft and helicopter activity.
The FAA, which manages air traffic control service as well as certification of personnel and airplane, lacks a permanent 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 selected an acting administrator, Chris Rocheleau, in the wake of the crash.
Mr Whitaker had 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 also required to react to Boeing’s safety and quality problems, and worked to hire more air traffic controllers due to a shortage of staff.
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Washington DC plane crash: What we understand up until now.
Air traffic control service heard diverting planes moments after collision
At his rundown, Mr Trump blamed previous president Joe Biden for decreasing requirements for air traffic controllers.
“ We have to have our smartest individuals,“ he said. „They need to be naturally skilled geniuses.“
Mr Trump included: „The FAA is actively recruiting employees who suffer severe intellectual impairments, psychiatric problems, and other psychological and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative defined on the firm’s website.“
The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, stating in a declaration on X: „FAA employees with specials needs did not trigger [the] awful airplane crash.
“ The investigation into the crash is still ongoing. It is exceptionally improper for the president to use this catastrophe 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 recently, he signed an executive order which „brought back the highest standards of air traffic controllers“.
At a later briefing, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He responded to: „It may have, I do not know.