Investigators find black boxes after deadly Washington plane crash, continue search for answers

U.S. officials stated on Thursday that the reason for the collision between a regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter at a Washington airport remains unclear, resulting in the deaths of 67 individuals in the worst U.S. aviation disaster in over two decades.

Authorities retrieved the aforementioned black boxes from the aircraft, an American Airlines Bombardier jet with 60 passengers and four crew members, which collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter and plunged into the Potomac River while approaching to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday evening. Everyone perished. The identities of all the victims have not been disclosed, but they comprised talented young figure skaters and individuals from Kansas, where the flight began.

Senator Maria Cantwell stated that the deceased included individuals from Russia, Germany, and the Philippines, and Chinese state media Xinhua indicated that two Chinese nationals had perished in the incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board stated that investigators found the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 passenger aircraft. A preliminary report concerning the incident is anticipated within 30 days. NTSB member Todd Inman indicated that the military helicopter had “some type of recording devices, which will be analyzed either by DOD or by us.” He mentioned that the NTSB and DOD have arrangements to exchange information regarding those recorders.

The agency has started gathering debris, including parts of the helicopter, and is keeping it in a hangar at Reagan National. The fire and emergency department of Washington stated that its divers had explored all reachable locations and would perform further searches on Friday to find aircraft parts.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that both planes were navigating normal flight paths on Wednesday, and there was no failure in communication. “Everything was normal until the moment of the incident,” stated Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. He mentioned that more than half of the bodies had been retrieved. The airport is located directly across the river from Washington in Virginia.

President Donald Trump claimed, without providing proof, that federal diversity initiatives might have played a role, emphasizing a theme that has become central to his presidency. Rights organizations and Democrats claimed he was exploiting the tragedy for political gain.

Trump additionally condemned the helicopter pilots and implied that air traffic controllers were at fault. Radio communications indicated that air traffic controllers informed the helicopter of the incoming jet and instructed it to alter its path.

On Wednesday night at Reagan National, one controller managed local plane and helicopter traffic instead of two, a scenario labeled as “not normal” but viewed as sufficient for reduced traffic volumes, according to a source informed about the situation. The source mentioned that it is not unusual to merge responsibilities in the evening. The “not normal” label was first reported by The New York Times.

In recent years, a lack of air traffic controllers in the United States has raised safety worries. At multiple facilities, controllers are required to work overtime and six-day weeks to address staff shortages. The Federal Aviation Administration has approximately 3,000 less controllers than it claims are necessary.

The airspace around the U.S. capital is often congested, housing three commercial airports and numerous significant military installations, leading officials to express worries regarding the busy runways at Reagan National Airport. Numerous near misses at the airport have raised concerns, particularly a near-collision in May 2024. Trump’s comments were markedly different from those of other officials, who indicated there was no clear reason for the crash.

American Airlines (AAL.O) CEO Robert Isom stated that the pilot of American Eagle Flight 5342 had around six years of flying experience. The Bombardier aircraft was managed by PSA Airlines, a regional affiliate.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the helicopter was piloted by a “relatively skilled team” of three soldiers who were using night-vision goggles during a yearly training mission. Authorities stated that they were suspending additional flights from the Army unit associated with the crash and planned to reassess training operations in the area.