In Washington, recovery operations have commenced for the aircraft that collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River last week. Salvage crews have retrieved the jet engine and a significant portion of the fuselage.
Human remains continue to be recovered, with 55 out of 67 victims identified so far. Authorities are optimistic all bodies will be located eventually.
The recovery of all Bombardier CRJ700 wreckage is expected to take several days, after which the Black Hawk helicopter will be retrieved. All debris will be transported to a large facility for examination.
The crash occurred last Wednesday evening when an American Airlines plane attempted to land near Washington and collided mid-air with the military helicopter, resulting in both aircraft crashing into the Potomac. The plane had 64 passengers, and the helicopter carried three crew members; there were no survivors.
The cause of the crash remains unclear. Flight data indicates the aircraft was at approximately 99 meters when the incident occurred, exceeding the area’s helicopter altitude limit of 60 meters.
President Trump commented that the helicopter was flying “far too high.” The U.S. agency investigating the crash has announced a thorough investigation and urged against drawing premature conclusions.
Source: NOS