Washington DC officials identify 66 of 67 victims of mid-air collision

WASHINGTON - Washington DC officials have now positively identified 66 of the 67 people killed in the mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac River on Jan 29.

A joint statement from agencies said on Feb 4 that all 67 bodies have been recovered. Work continues by the US Army Corps of Engineers to remove the airplane wreckage from the Potomac River near Washington’s Reagan National Airport. Officials plan to begin removing the helicopter wreckage on Feb 5.

In the

aftermath of the crash,

the Federal Aviation Administration has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February and two of the lesser-used runways remain closed.

Investigators from the NTSB have said they had determined that the CRJ-700 airplane that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, was flying at an altitude of 99m, plus or minus 7.6m, at the time of impact.

The NTSB said Feb 4 that updated data shows the Black Hawk was flying at 91.5m on the air traffic control display at the time of the collision.

The data indicates the Army Black Hawk helicopter was flying above 61m, the maximum altitude for the route it was using.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom spoke to President Donald Trump on Feb 3, according to an email sent to employees on Feb 4, adding the president offered condolences for crew members, passengers and their loved ones.

“President Trump also made clear that aviation safety is a priority for his administration,” Mr Isom added in his note.

Mr Isom praised the FAA for “limiting helicopter traffic near” Reagan.

The National Transportation Safety Board has completed interviews with air traffic controllers and obtained training and flight logs for both flight crews and maintenance records for both aircraft.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy told Reuters on Feb 3 that the NTSB plans to look at prior near-miss incidents between helicopters and aeroplanes around Washington Reagan and could expand the investigation “to other areas where there’s military helicopter and air traffic”.

Data confirmed previously that the air traffic controller alerted the helicopter to the presence of the CRJ-700 about two minutes before the collision. REUTERS