Nationwide Transportation Security Board says it should ‘depart no stone unturned’ in probe of midair collision.
Investigators in the US have positioned the black containers from the American Airways jet that crashed right into a US Military helicopter close to Washington, DC, killing all 67 folks on board.
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) on Friday stated it recovered the flight knowledge and cockpit voice recorders from the Bombardier CRJ700 jet that collided with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport.
“The recorders are on the NTSB labs for analysis,” the company stated in a publish on X.
NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy earlier instructed reporters that the company would “depart no stone unturned” in its investigation into the accident, the primary lethal crash involving a US business airliner in additional than 15 years.
“We’re going to conduct a radical investigation of this complete tragedy, trying on the info,” Homendy stated.
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump drew ire for claiming that variety, fairness and inclusion insurance policies (DEI) on the Federal Aviation Administration might have been responsible for the catastrophe.
“These should not individuals who needs to be doing this specific job,” Trump stated at a information convention, with out specifying whom he was referring to.
“We wish sensible folks doing this. This can be a main chess sport on the highest degree.”
Requested by a reporter how he may draw a hyperlink between the crash and DEI insurance policies when investigations weren’t full, Trump stated he had “widespread sense”.
Trump’s feedback prompted condemnation from Democrats and incapacity rights teams, together with the Nationwide Incapacity Rights Community, which branded his assertion “irresponsible, disparaging, and incorrect”.
Pete Buttigieg, who served as transportation secretary beneath former US President Joe Biden, known as the feedback “despicable”.
“As households grieve, Trump needs to be main, not mendacity. We put security first, drove down shut calls, grew Air Site visitors Management, and had zero business airline crash fatalities out of thousands and thousands of flights on our watch,” Buttigieg stated on X.
Earlier than the scheduled touchdown of American Airways plane Flight 5342 at Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport on Wednesday, air visitors controllers requested the pilots if they might land on Runway 33, and flight monitoring websites confirmed that they adjusted their flight path to satisfy the request.
Lower than 30 seconds earlier than the midair collision, an air visitors controller requested the crew of the military helicopter if it may see the approaching aircraft.
The crash was the primary lethal incident involving a US business airline since 2009 when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed right into a home close to Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 folks on board and one particular person on the bottom.
Authorities have thus far recovered about 40 our bodies from the Potomac River.
Whereas officers haven’t launched a full listing of the victims, they embrace two former world champion determine skaters, two Chinese language nationals, a bunch of mates who had been on a duck-hunting journey, and the crews of the 2 plane.
Reagan Nationwide, positioned in Arlington, Virginia, is the closest airport to Washington, DC, located lower than 8km (5 miles) from the US capital.
The airport is common with many travellers due to its proximity to Washington, DC, in contrast with the bigger Dulles Worldwide Airport, which is about 37km (23 miles) additional away.
