Washington DC Plane Crash: Authorities Recover 41 Bodies After Mid-air Collision
Authorities have recuperated 41 bodies after an aircraft crash in Washington DC.
Sixty-seven individuals were killed when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter collided mid-air on Wednesday night. Up until now, 28 bodies have been determined.
Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the crash. Some 300 workers were sent out to the scene, but the rescue soon turned into a recovery objective as authorities stated there were no survivors.
Washington crash: Follow the latest updates
Federal investigators have actually recuperated the black boxes from the guest jet, while authorities were still browsing for comparable devices in the helicopter.
Meanwhile, in the middle of 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 manager had let a controller leave their shift early.
The detail, first reported by the New York Times, has actually been verified to Sky News' US partner NBC News by a source acquainted with the examination.
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It implies a was dealing with both plane and helicopter traffic in the location when the 2 aircraft collided.
It is permitted - however not optimum - for one controller to do both tasks, NBC News reported.
The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, bring 3 soldiers, quickly 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 managed airspaces in the world.
'Em ergency lorries sped past me'
A man whose partner was on the flight has recalled how he saw emergency services "speeding past" as he was waiting at the airport to choose her up.
Hamaad Raza informed NBC News his wife of two years, Asra, had actually "texted me [and] said, 'We're landing in 20 minutes'".
" I was waiting and I began seeing a lot of EMS lorries speeding past me ... method too numerous, [more] than typical and my texts weren't going through."
Trump makes unverified diversity drive claim
Donald Trump has actually connected a diversity drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous governments to the crash.
It has actually considering that been stated there is no proof 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 instant assessment of FAA hiring choices made throughout 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 typical", according to a preliminary FAA report.
The tower usually has a controller who focuses particularly on helicopter traffic - but at the time of the crash, a source said, one controller was overseeing both airplane and helicopter activity.
The FAA, which controls air traffic control service in addition to accreditation of personnel and aircraft, is without a long-term 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 actually 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 period at the FAA.
Since beginning as head of the administration in October 2023, he was also forced to respond to Boeing's safety and quality problems, and worked to hire more air traffic controllers due to a shortage of personnel.
Find out more:. Washington DC airplane crash: What we understand up until now. Air traffic control heard diverting aircrafts moments after crash
At his rundown, Mr Trump blamed former president Joe Biden for reducing requirements for air traffic controllers.
" We need to have our smartest individuals," he said. "They have to be naturally skilled geniuses."
Mr Trump added: "The FAA is actively recruiting employees who suffer extreme intellectual impairments, psychiatric issues, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and addition hiring initiative spelled out on the company's site."
The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, saying in a declaration on X: "FAA staff members with disabilities did not trigger [the] tragic aircraft crash.
" The examination into the crash is still continuous. It is exceptionally improper for the president to utilize 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 recently, he signed an executive order which "restored the highest standards of air traffic controllers".
At a later instruction, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He answered: "It might have, I do not understand.