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Washington DC Plane Crash: Authorities Recover 41 Bodies After Mid-air Collision

Authorities have recuperated 41 bodies after an airplane crash in Washington DC.

Sixty-seven people were killed when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter collided mid-air on Wednesday night. So far, 28 bodies have actually been determined.

Both airplane crashed into the Potomac River after the crash. Some 300 workers were sent to the scene, however the rescue quickly developed into a recovery mission as officials stated there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the current updates

Federal investigators have recuperated the black boxes from the passenger jet, while authorities were still looking for similar devices in the helicopter.

Meanwhile, amid questions over how well the airport’s control tower was staffed on the night of the crash, employment it’s been validated that an air traffic control manager had actually let a controller leave their shift early.

The information, first reported by the New York Times, has been confirmed to Sky News’ US partner NBC News by a source knowledgeable about the investigation.

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It means a single controller was dealing with both plane and helicopter traffic in the area when the 2 aircraft clashed.

It is permitted – but not ideal – for one controller to do both jobs, NBC News reported.

The jet was bring 60 guests and 4 crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, soon before 9pm regional time on Wednesday.

Flight 5342 was preparing to land on runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it clashed with 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 situation services “speeding past” as he was waiting at the airport to choose her up.

Hamaad Raza told NBC News his other half of two years, Asra, had “texted me [and] stated, ‘We’re landing in 20 minutes'”.

” I was waiting and I began seeing a bunch of EMS vehicles speeding past me … method too numerous, [more] than normal and my texts weren’t going through.”

Trump makes unverified diversity drive claim

Donald Trump has linked a variety drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous federal governments to the crash.

It has considering that been said 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 signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of FAA hiring decisions made during the previous administration.

While Mr Trump’s claim appears to have actually been unmasked, employment 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 helicopter traffic – but at the time of the crash, a source said, one controller was overseeing both plane and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which manages air traffic control along with certification of workers and aircraft, is without an irreversible 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 actually appointed an acting administrator, Chris Rocheleau, in the wake of the crash.

Mr Whitaker had actually encountered Mr Trump’s confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX rocket launches during his tenure at the FAA.

Since starting as head of the administration in October 2023, he was also forced to react to Boeing’s safety and quality problems, and worked to employ more air traffic controllers due to a shortage of personnel.

Learn more:.
Washington DC aircraft crash: What we understand up until now.
Air traffic control service heard diverting airplanes moments after crash

At his rundown, Mr Trump blamed former president Joe Biden for reducing standards for air traffic controllers.

” We have to have our smartest individuals,” he said. “They have to be naturally skilled geniuses.”

Mr Trump included: “The FAA is actively hiring employees who suffer severe intellectual impairments, psychiatric issues, and other mental and physical conditions under a variety and inclusion hiring effort 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 employees with disabilities did not trigger [the] terrible plane crash.

” The investigation into the crash is still continuous. It is extremely improper for the president to use this catastrophe to press an anti-diversity hiring program. 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 “brought back the highest requirements of air traffic controllers”.

At a later rundown, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He answered: “It may have, I do not understand.