Authorities have recovered 41 bodies after an aircraft crash in Washington DC.
Sixty-seven individuals were killed when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter clashed mid-air on Wednesday night. Up until now, 28 bodies have actually been recognized.
Both airplane crashed into the Potomac River after the accident. Some 300 workers were sent to the scene, however the rescue quickly turned into a recovery objective as officials said there were no survivors.
Washington crash: Follow the current updates
Federal detectives have actually recovered the black boxes from the guest jet, while authorities were still looking for comparable gadgets in the helicopter.
Meanwhile, amid questions over how well the airport's control tower was staffed on the night of the crash, it's been validated that an air traffic control manager had actually let a controller leave their shift early.
The detail, job first 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 managing both aircraft and helicopter traffic in the area when the two airplane clashed.
It is allowable - however not optimum - for one controller to do both tasks, job NBC News reported.
The American Airlines jet was bring 60 passengers and 4 crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, job 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 one of the most tightly controlled airspaces in the world.
'Em ergency lorries sped past me'
A man whose spouse was on the flight has remembered how he saw emergency situation 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, had actually "texted me [and] stated, 'We're landing in 20 minutes'".
" I was waiting and I began seeing a lot of EMS lorries speeding past me ... method too many, [more] than typical and my texts weren't going through."
Trump makes unverified variety drive claim
Donald Trump has connected a variety drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous federal 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 briefing on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had signed a memorandum directing an instant assessment of FAA working with choices made throughout the previous administration.
While Mr Trump's claim appears to have been debunked, there are concerns 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 specifically on - but at the time of the crash, a source stated, one controller was overseeing both aircraft and job helicopter activity.
The FAA, which controls air traffic control along with certification of workers and aircraft, is without a permanent administrator. Its previous 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, in the wake of the crash.
Mr Whitaker had clashed with Mr Trump's confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX rocket launches during his period at the FAA.
Since beginning as head of the administration in October 2023, he was also forced to respond to Boeing's security and quality issues, job and worked to employ more air traffic controllers due to a scarcity of staff.
Find out more:.
Washington DC aircraft crash: What we understand so far.
Air traffic control heard diverting aircrafts minutes after collision
At his instruction, Mr Trump blamed former president Joe Biden for lowering requirements for air traffic controllers.
" We need to have our most intelligent people," he said. "They have to be naturally gifted 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 diversity and addition hiring initiative spelled out on the firm's website."
The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, stating in a declaration on X: "FAA staff members with impairments did not trigger [the] tragic aircraft crash.
" The investigation into the crash is still ongoing. It is extremely improper 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 recently, he signed an executive order which "restored the greatest requirements of air traffic controllers".
At a later briefing, he was asked if gender or race played a function. He answered: "It might have, I don't understand.
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Washington DC Plane Crash: Authorities Recover 41 Bodies After Mid air Collision
Addie Isaacs edited this page 2 weeks ago