On a winter evening near the nation's capital, an ordinary commercial flight from Wichita and a routine Army training helicopter met in the same patch of sky above the Potomac, and both fell into the cold river together. By Tuesday, divers and salvage crews had brought back all 67 people who died, all but one now identified, in what stands as the deadliest air disaster on American soil in two decades. What remains is the slower work of understanding how two machines came to share one stretch of air, a question that will be answered by investigators rather than by the grief of those who have al
All 67 Victims Recovered From Potomac After Passenger Jet and Army Helicopter Collide Near Washington
All 67 people aboard the plane and helicopter were killed, including 60 passengers, four crew members, and three soldiers.
The search for the dead in the Potomac was over.
Mark
The recovery of the bodies is done. Why does that matter so much this early?
Mimi
Because for the families it ends one kind of waiting. Officials called it a significant step toward closure, and all but one of the 67 have been identified.
Mark
And the wreckage?
Mimi
Still in the river. Crews have brought up the right wing, part of the left wing, a center fuselage section, and the tail cone and rudder. The helicopter comes after the plane.
Luke
Let me separate what's known from what's claimed. What's firmly established?
Mimi
The toll: 60 passengers, four crew, three soldiers. The route from Wichita to Reagan National. The Black Hawk was on a training mission.
Luke
And the president's statements?
Mimi
He blamed diversity hiring policies, but no evidence has emerged that they played any role. He also said the helicopter appeared to be flying too high. That's his assessment, not an investigative finding.
Mark
What about the reports of an understaffed control tower?
Luke
That's attributed to US media reports. Nothing in this reporting confirms it, or says it contributed to the crash.
Mark
So what do we actually wait for?
Mimi
The NTSB preliminary report within 30 days. The full investigation could take a year.
O Pulso
- A passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk collided in the sky near Washington and plunged into the frigid Potomac River.
- All 67 people aboard were killed, and no survivors were found, leaving families waiting for names and answers.
- Salvage crews have finished recovering the dead, with all but one body identified, while wreckage is still being hauled from the water.
- Political voices have rushed to assign blame, while the NTSB works to establish what actually happened.
- A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, and a full investigation could take up to a year.
On a winter evening near the nation's capital, an ordinary commercial flight from Wichita and a routine Army training helicopter met in the same patch of sky above the Potomac, and both fell into the cold river together. By Tuesday, divers and salvage crews had brought back all 67 people who died, all but one now identified, in what stands as the deadliest air disaster on American soil in two decades. What remains is the slower work of understanding how two machines came to share one stretch of air, a question that will be answered by investigators rather than by the grief of those who have already lost everything.
By Tuesday, the search for the dead in the Potomac River had come to an end. Salvage crews had recovered the bodies of all 67 people killed when a passenger jet and a US Army helicopter collided near Washington and fell into the frigid water. All but one had been identified. Officials described the end of the search as a significant step toward closure for the families, and promised to stand beside them in the loss.
The dead include 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the American Eagle Bombardier CRJ-700 that had flown from Wichita, Kansas, toward Ronald Reagan National Airport, along with three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk on a routine training mission. There were no survivors. The collision happened on Wednesday.
The work in the river is not finished. The NTSB has so far retrieved the right wing, a center section of the fuselage, part of the left wing, and the tail cone and rudder, and the helicopter's recovery will follow. Political reactions came quickly, with President Trump blaming diversity hiring policies without evidence and suggesting the helicopter was flying too high. Media reports have also raised questions about possible tower understaffing, though no official finding has been made.
For now, the families know who was lost. The open question is how two aircraft came to occupy the same airspace over the Potomac, and that answer will come from the NTSB's preliminary report within 30 days, with the full investigation taking perhaps a year.
By Tuesday, the search for the dead in the Potomac River was over. Salvage crews had recovered the bodies of all 67 people killed when a passenger jet and a US Army helicopter collided near Washington and fell into the frigid water, officials announced. All but one of the bodies had been identified.
The announcement came in a joint statement from the government agencies working on the recovery after what is the deadliest air crash in the United States in 20 years. The statement described the end of the search for remains as a significant step toward bringing closure to the families of those who died in last week's accident. It added that the agencies' hearts were with the families as they navigate the loss, and that they extend their deepest condolences and remain committed to supporting them.
The dead include 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the plane, along with three soldiers aboard a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. There were no survivors. The aircraft was a Bombardier CRJ-700 flying for American Eagle, the regional arm of American Airlines, on a route from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington when the collision happened on Wednesday.
The work in the river is not finished. Crews are still pulling the wreckage of the jet from the cold water. The National Transportation Safety Board said they have so far retrieved the right wing, a center section of the fuselage, part of the left wing, and the tail cone and rudder. City agencies said recovery of the helicopter will begin once the work on the plane is complete.
The political reaction came quickly. President Donald Trump blamed diversity hiring policies for the accident, although no evidence has emerged that they were responsible. He also said the helicopter, which was on a routine training mission, appeared to be flying too high. Separately, US media reports have said the control tower at the busy airport may have been understaffed at the time of the collision. Those reports are attributed to media accounts, and the source material does not describe an official finding on staffing.
What caused the collision remains the work of the NTSB. The board is expected to produce a preliminary report within 30 days, though a full investigation could take as long as a year. For now, the families have the answer to who was lost, and the open question is how two aircraft came to occupy the same airspace over the Potomac.
Citações Notáveis
The completion of the search for remains is a significant step toward bringing closure to the families.— Joint statement from government agencies involved in the recovery
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