Authorities in Washington are intensifying their efforts to recover the two aircraft involved in a tragic crash on Wednesday that claimed the lives of 67 people and raised serious questions about air safety in the US capital.
Divers will resume operations Friday, focusing on retrieving additional components from the wreckage of the American Airlines CRJ700 regional jet and the Army Black Hawk helicopter, both of which collided before plunging into the Potomac River.
Washington’s fire department confirmed the update, stating, “We are moving forward with efforts to salvage the aircraft and locate further components.”
The recovery effort continues after the successful retrieval of the so-called black boxes from the American Airlines plane, which was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members at the time of the crash.
Tragically, all aboard the regional jet perished, alongside the three crew members aboard the Army Black Hawk helicopter.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently analysing the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the CRJ700 as part of its investigation into the cause of the collision.
While authorities have not yet pinpointed a definitive cause, initial reports suggest that the regional jet was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with the military helicopter, which had been operating at an altitude of about 300 feet.
According to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, this was significantly higher than the standard 200-foot maximum altitude for the helicopter’s route.
Air traffic controllers were reportedly in communication with the helicopter and had directed it to change course to avoid the jet.
However, only one air traffic controller was handling both the plane and helicopter traffic at the time of the crash, a situation deemed “not normal” by an anonymous source briefed on the matter. This arrangement is typically considered sufficient only during periods of low air traffic volume.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom confirmed that the pilot of the American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, had approximately six years of flying experience.
Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the helicopter crew as “fairly experienced,” noting that the soldiers were wearing night-vision goggles during an annual training flight at the time of the crash.
In response to the incident, the military has grounded other flights from the Army unit involved and said it will reevaluate future training exercises in the region.
President Donald Trump, without evidence, speculated that diversity efforts championed by Democrats may have contributed to the crash. “Perhaps it’s because of these diversity programs,” Trump suggested, fuelling a political debate as he has long sought to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. His comments, however, were quickly criticised by Democrats.
Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, condemned the remarks, emphasising the tragedy’s human toll:
“How can he make these brash statements when an investigation is barely under way?” Sharpton remarked. “It doesn’t matter if these were DEI hires or Ivy League hires. What matters is the families who are grieving, who do not want to see this moment politicised.”
Among the crash victims were people from Russia, China, Germany, and the Philippines, including young figure skaters, as well as several individuals from Kansas, the state from which the passenger flight had departed. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed on Thursday that more than half of the victims’ bodies had already been recovered.
Boluwatife Enome
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