More of the wreckage of an American Airlines regional plane was recovered Tuesday from last week’s deadly midair collision over Washington, D.C., that sent the airliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashing into the Potomac River.
Crews began work Monday to salvage the wreckage, recovering the battered midsection of the plane’s fuselage, one of the engines and a wing.
“Over the next 24 hours, our goal is really to complete our commitment to finishing the civilian plane recovery,” Col. Frank Pera of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told reporters Monday.
Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
Officials said it will take several days to remove all of the wreckage, including the cockpit.
The D.C. fire department said additional remains were recovered Monday from the deadliest U.S. air crash in more than two decades and are in the process of being identified. Of the 67 victims from the collision, remains from 55 have been identified.
Newly released drone video from the National Transportation Safety Board shows a first look at the scene hours after the crash, the Black Hawk helicopter appearing mostly intact.
Investigators said they’re still poring over the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from both aircraft. They’ve also obtained training and flight logs for both flight crews, maintenance logs for both aircraft and are building the crews’ daily histories.
Interviews with all five air traffic controllers working the night of the collision have also been completed as the NTSB tries to piece together what happened.
