Emergency crews respond to aircraft crash near Reagan National Airport (Image: Getty)
A black box from the flight that collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter has been successfully recovered, according to new reports. While one of the flight data recorders has been located, it remains uncertain which of the two black boxes now holds crucial clues.
Post-crash accusations from President suggest DEI hiring policies and previous Presidential administrations are to blame; however, the official investigation is still underway.
A black box stores vital details about a flight’s last 25 hours, including evaluation speed and other key flight data that could unravel the causes behind the crash. Furthermore, a cockpit voice recorder can provide insights into the conversations between the pilots and air traffic control in the moments leading to the tragedy.
The Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the catastrophic incident featured a regional jet on its descent into Wichita, Kansas, and a military helicopter ferrying three soldiers engaged in a training routine. Conditions were clear at the event’s time, reports .
NEWS: One of the “black box” recorders from flight has been recovered from the Potomac River, Senator Maria Cantwell’s office tells CNN.
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean)
Shortly before the jet’s landing sequence, air traffic controllers queried American Airlines Flight 5342 regarding its capability to settle on a shorter airstrip. The flight crew consented, receiving clearance for landing from the controllers, and as indicated by flight tracking platforms, proceeded to realign their approach to accommodate the newly assigned runway.
Less than half a minute before the tragic collision, an air traffic controller queried the helicopter if it had visual contact with the plane. The controller then made another radio call to the helicopter, instructing “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ” – indicating that the helicopter should allow the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet to pass first.
However, there was no response and the two aircraft collided moments later. The plane’s radio transponder ceased transmission approximately 2,400 feet short of the runway, roughly over the centre of the Potomac. Officials discovered the main body of the aircraft in three sections, upside-down in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also located in the river.
The investigation into the crash continues (Image: Getty Images)
NTSB officials are currently working on retrieving the data recording equipment from both aircraft. A report by the Federal Aviation Administration obtained by The Associated Press revealed that a single air traffic controller was managing both helicopter traffic and incoming and outgoing planes at the time of the collision.
This task is typically assigned to two individuals in the tower, making the setup “not normal,” according to the report. However, an insider stated that the staffing level in the tower on Wednesday nights was standard. The roles are often combined when controllers need to take breaks, during shift changes, or when air traffic is slow, the source explained, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of internal procedures.
President , alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and nominee for Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, suggested the helicopter crash could have been averted. In a press briefing, Trump, without substantiating his claims, pointed fingers at the helicopter pilots and controversially insinuated that diversity schemes had compromised air safety.
Later Thursday, Trump signed a presidential memorandum on aviation safety that he said would undo “damage” done to related federal agencies by the Biden administration. Trump again criticized policies meant to promote diversity and inclusion — drawing criticism from Black lawmakers.