'Heartbreaking' search for those killed in DC air crash as army helicopter's black box recovered

Yesterday, police boats slowly searched along the Potomac River, carefully scanning the shore in the rain. Investigators are looking for clues to the mid-air collision that killed 67 people, an accident that has also raised concerns about the safety of airspace in the capital region. Investigators announced that they have recovered the black box of the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a commercial airliner and crashed into the Potomac River.

Investigators are reviewing the flight data recorder, as well as the two recorders previously recovered from the airliner. There were no survivors in the Wednesday night collision. As of yesterday afternoon, 41 bodies had been recovered from the river, 28 of which have been identified. Washington D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly Sr. stated at a press conference that relatives of 18 families have been notified, and it is expected that all 67 victims' bodies will eventually be recovered. He also stated that it may be necessary to recover the wreckage from the water to find all the bodies.

"It's a heartbreaking job," Donnelly said, noting that more than 300 rescue personnel are involved in the rescue efforts at any given time, including dive teams and two U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats, at least one of which is equipped with a crane. "It's been a difficult response for many of us." It is unclear how long the rescue operation will take. "We are working as quickly as we can," Donnelly said. Although Ronald Reagan National Airport has reopened, two of its three runways remain closed to prevent aircraft from flying over the crash site, according to Terry Liercke, the airport's vice president and manager.

Approximately 100 flights were canceled yesterday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also significantly restricted helicopter traffic around the airport. The U.S. Department of Transportation said in a statement that this comes after President Donald Trump posted on social media claiming that the Army Black Hawk helicopter was flying above the permitted limit. Investigators have found the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the American Airlines airliner that collided with the helicopter as it prepared to land at the airport, which is just across the Potomac River from Washington.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman told reporters that the flight data recorder is in good condition and its information is expected to be downloaded soon. He said that water had entered the cockpit voice recorder, which, while not uncommon, adds to the investigators' workload. The helicopter's data is contained in a black box that is now at NTSB headquarters, Inman said. Investigators have not yet attempted to open it, but it appears undamaged. Investigators are examining the military pilots' actions and air traffic control, after the helicopter apparently flew into the airliner's flight path. Such investigations typically take 12 to 18 months, and investigators said they would not speculate on the cause of the accident. NTSB officials hope to complete a preliminary report within 30 days.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on Fox News that other potential contributing factors, including the helicopter's altitude and whether the crew used night vision goggles, are still under investigation. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation statement, the FAA yesterday banned helicopters from flying over a roughly 10-kilometer stretch of the Potomac River and parts of its shoreline, including over the airport. The new restrictions exempt helicopters performing emergency medical flights, active law enforcement and air defense missions, and those transporting the president. These restrictions are expected to last at least until the NTSB completes its preliminary report. Military aircraft frequently conduct such flights in and around the capital to practice routes for the rapid relocation of key government officials in the event of a major disaster or attack.

The American Airlines airliner was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The body of one of the three soldiers on board the helicopter has been recovered. Officials said that the flight conditions were good when the plane arrived from Wichita, Kansas, and that the plane was carrying nine students and parents from Fairfax County schools in Virginia, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and a group of hunters. The wreckage of the crash has drifted several kilometers downstream. Dean Naujoks of the environmental group Waterkeepers Alliance, who regularly patrols the Potomac River, discovered floating debris on Thursday that had been pushed by wind and currents into two shallow bays on the Maryland shore.

The debris included pages from flight manuals, a section of an aircraft cabin wall, a woman's sweater, dozens of sugar packets with the American Airlines logo, and what appeared to be cushions from a pilot's seat. Naujoks, who had permission from law enforcement to operate his motorboat to within about three kilometers of the crash site at the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, turned the items over to the FBI. "Everything was covered in aviation fuel," Naujoks said yesterday. "The sugar packets made me think of the flight attendants. I thought about the people who owned these things, and it's just heartbreaking. It's just a sad day for the river."

Inman stated that at least one air traffic controller who was working at the time of the accident has been interviewed by investigators. He said that interviews are still ongoing and it is unclear how many controllers were working at the time. "Interviews with air traffic controllers are critical," Inman said. "That's why a process was initiated immediately after the accident." Investigators will also examine staffing levels, training, recruitment, and other factors, as well as the controllers' records. The FAA has long faced a shortage of air traffic controllers.

On Thursday, Trump slammed diversity hiring, stating without evidence that lowered standards were to blame for the accident. Army Aviation Chief of Staff Jonathan Koziol said that the helicopter crew was "experienced" and familiar with the congested flights that occur daily around the city. Koziol stated that the helicopter's maximum permitted altitude at the time was approximately 60 meters. It is unclear whether it exceeded that limit, but Hegseth said that altitude appears to be a factor in the collision. After questioning the actions of the helicopter pilots and blaming diversity initiatives for undermining aviation safety a day earlier, Trump said yesterday that the helicopter was "flying too high."

"It was way over the 200-foot limit. It's really not that hard to understand, is it??" Trump posted on Truth Social. Wednesday's crash is the deadliest in the U.S. since November 12, 2001, when a jet crashed into a residential neighborhood in Belle Harbor, New York, shortly after taking off from Kennedy Airport, killing all 260 people on board and 5 people on the ground. Experts often emphasize that air travel is extremely safe, but the airspace around Reagan National Airport can be challenging even for the most experienced pilots. They must navigate among hundreds of other commercial aircraft, military aircraft, and restricted areas around sensitive locations.