The identity of one of the three servicemen who perished in the aircraft incident in Washington remains undisclosed.
The military confirmed the identities of two of the soldiers who were killed when a military helicopter collided mid-air with an American Airlines airplane as Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves.
Nevertheless, at the family’s request, the army made the atypical choice not to disclose the name of the third soldier.
In the meantime, officials declared that the black box from the Black Hawk helicopter has been retrieved.
They are currently analyzing the flight data recorder alongside two from the airplane as they investigate what led to the catastrophic incident.
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New videos emerge of DC crash
Read more:
What air traffic audio reveals about the helicopter pilot’s decisions moments prior to the collision
What we have learned regarding the passengers
As per Washington DC Fire Chief John Donnelly Sr, forty-one bodies had been recovered from the river by Friday afternoon, twenty-eight of which have been positively identified during a press briefing.
He indicated that notifications to next of kin had been completed for 18 families and anticipated that all 67 deceased individuals will eventually be accounted for.
“This has been a challenging response for many of our personnel,” remarked Mr. Donnelly, highlighting that over 300 responders were engaged in the operation simultaneously.
Already, investigators have located the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the American Airlines aircraft, which collided with the helicopter while approaching for a landing at the airport adjacent to Washington.
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Plane Crash: What went wrong?
Authorities are meticulously examining various elements in what National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has termed an “all-hands-on-deck event”.
Investigators are looking into the military pilot’s maneuvers along with air traffic control decisions, as it appears the helicopter…
flew into the flight path of the jet.
Typically, air crash inquiries require between 12 to 18 months, and investigators informed the media on Thursday that they would refrain from speculating regarding the incident’s cause.
It has been implied that the helicopter may have surpassed a designated altitude limit.
Discover more:
Washington DC aviation incident: What we know thus far
Air traffic control reported directing aircraft shortly following the crash
Mr. Trump indicated in a Friday morning update on his Truth Social platform that the helicopter was “operating too high” at the point of the incident.
“It was well above the 200-foot restriction. That’s not particularly difficult to comprehend, is it???” he remarked.
His remarks followed a day after he criticized the helicopter pilot’s decisions, while also attributing the decline in aviation safety to diversity initiatives.
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Information has been surfacing regarding the identities of other individuals who perished in the incident, including Danasia Elder, a flight attendant affiliated with American Airlines, as reported by WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina.
