Remains of all D.C. plane crash victims recovered as crews pull parts of cockpit, tail from Potomac River
Remains from all 67 victims of the midair collision over Washington, D.C., that sent an American Airlines regional plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashing into the Potomac River have been recovered, officials said Tuesday.
Officials overseeing recovery efforts from the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than two decades said Wednesday in a statement that all 67 had been positively identified.
"The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner continues its work to ensure the dignified return of remains to their families and continue supporting the families through this process," the statement said.
Crews from multiple agencies will continue searching the area for "potential wreckage identification for recovery by salvage crews," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that data from air traffic controllers' screens showed the Black Hawk was at an altitude of about 300 feet at the time of Wednesday night's collision. The data is rounded to the nearest 100 feet.
Investigators have said black box data indicated the airliner was flying at around 325 feet, above the 200-feet ceiling set by the Federal Aviation Administration for helicopter traffic in that area.
The developments come as parts of the plane's cockpit, tail and fuselage and another engine were removed from the water on Tuesday while crews continue the lengthy process of recovering the wreckage from both aircraft.
The pieces of wreckage recovered Tuesday were lifted by a crane and placed onto a barge with other parts recovered from the flight that took off from Wichita, Kansas, for Washington's Reagan National Airport with 60 passengers and four crew members on board. One of the pieces recovered earlier in the day showed a portion of the American Eagle logo.
The NTSB said Wednesday that the wreckage had been transferred from the barge to a secure location for further examination.
Investigators will be examining the "general airworthiness" of the aircraft, the plane's Traffic Awareness and Collision Avoidance System and the cockpit and instrument readings, among other issues, according to the NTSB.
Crews began work Monday to salvage the wreckage, recovering the battered midsection of the plane's fuselage, one of the engines and a wing.
Officials said it will take several days to remove all of the wreckage and recovery operations will resume Thursday for the helicopter. Newly released drone video from the NTSB shows a first look at the scene hours after the crash, the Black Hawk helicopter appearing mostly intact.
Three soldiers were on the helicopter at the time of the collision.
Investigators said they're still poring over the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from both aircraft. They've also obtained training and flight logs for both flight crews, maintenance logs for both aircraft and are building the crews' daily histories.
Interviews with all five air traffic controllers working the night of the collision have also been completed as the NTSB tries to piece together what happened.
Amid questions over whether military helicopters should be sharing the same airspace with commercial air traffic, Billy Nolen, a former acting administrator of the FAA, said they should.
"It happens all the time," Nolen said. "So this is not one of a zero-sum game. We are in this national capital region. What we should look at is, say, have we missed anything in terms of how this is designed, how the routes are designed, and is there anything that we would, should or could do differently to prevent this from happening again?"
As investigators push for answers, a moment of silence was held Monday at skating rinks across the country remembering the 67 lives lost, including those in the ice skating community.
