Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have successfully recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the airplane involved in the midair collision with an army helicopter near Reagan airport in Washington DC. The recorders are now being evaluated at the NTSB’s labs for further analysis.
The collision, which resulted in the deaths of all 67 people on board both aircraft, is being called the deadliest aviation disaster in the US since 2001. At least 28 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River, and recovery operations are ongoing. The NTSB has pledged to release a preliminary report on the causes of the crash within 30 days.
Questions have been raised about staffing levels at the air traffic control tower, as initial reports suggested that only one controller was handling both helicopter and plane traffic at the time of the collision. The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers and identified fatigue as a factor that might lead to mistakes.
President Trump faced criticism for baselessly blaming diversity initiatives at the FAA for the crash, with Democratic politicians condemning his comments as “disgusting,” “disgraceful,” and “racist.” Trump signed an executive order rolling back diversity initiatives in federal aviation, further fueling controversy.
The US army has reported an increase in serious aviation incidents in the last fiscal year, prompting a safety standdown to evaluate safety procedures. The investigation into the crash continues, with efforts to determine the exact cause ongoing.
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