ARLINGTON, Va. — In the early hours of Friday, police boats patrolled the Potomac River as part of an extensive investigation following a tragic midair collision that resulted in the deaths of 67 individuals, marking the deadliest aviation incident in the U.S. in nearly 25 years.
Recovery teams have managed to retrieve over 40 bodies from the water, as the operation continues. Anonymous sources from law enforcement indicated that they were not permitted to share specific details regarding the investigation.
On Friday morning, recovery crews operated under cloudy skies, with rain expected to fall throughout the day. Despite the tragic events, flights resumed at Reagan National Airport, and operations were gradually returning to normal after an initial wave of cancellations and delays post-accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made significant progress in the investigation, retrieving both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the American Airlines aircraft involved in the incident, which occurred as it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday evening. The investigation will explore numerous factors, as emphasized by NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Hommendy, in what is being treated as a critical event.
All individuals aboard the two aircraft tragically lost their lives. Investigators are closely examining the actions of the military helicopter pilot and air traffic controllers, especially as the military aircraft reportedly entered the flight path of the incoming commercial jet.
Standard air crash investigations can often take between 12 to 18 months, and authorities have refrained from making any speculative comments regarding the collision’s cause. As of Friday, officials are still in search of the helicopter’s black box recorder, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned on a news channel that factors such as the helicopter’s altitude and the use of night vision goggles by the crew are under review.
In response to the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opted to restrict most helicopters from operating on low-altitude routes near the airport, which adds an additional layer of scrutiny to air traffic patterns. Sources noted that due to the unauthorized nature of the information, some details were shared confidentially.
The Pentagon routinely conducts helicopter flights in the D.C. area to familiarize military personnel with necessary pathways in the event of emergencies requiring the swift relocation of officials.
The commercial plane involved had 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter carried three soldiers. Reports indicate an air traffic control system was in place that relied on one controller to manage both helicopter traffic and the planes arriving and departing at the time of the incident. Typically, this role is split between two controllers, but the decision on that night was made to combine them earlier than usual due to reduced traffic.
Despite claims of an abnormal staffing configuration, sources familiar with the inner workings indicated that the staffing for that night fell within normal guidelines. The busy airport often consolidates positions when controllers take breaks or during slow traffic periods.
Clear flight conditions were reported as the American Airlines jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying a group of young figure skaters along with their families and coaches, alongside four union steamfitters.
An Army aviation official attested that the crew aboard the Black Hawk helicopter was experienced and well-acquainted with the city’s air traffic patterns. The crew had previously flown that specific route at night, making the situation familiar.
The maximum permitted altitude for the helicopter at the time was 200 feet (approximately 60 meters), and while it remains unclear if the helicopter exceeded that limit, the Defense Secretary suggested that altitude might have contributed to the collision’s circumstances. Investigators, however, have emphasized the need for thorough analysis of the flight data prior to drawing conclusions.
In an online statement, former President Donald Trump remarked that the helicopter was “flying too high” at the time of the incident, suggesting it was well beyond the 200-foot limit, which sparked discussions regarding safety protocols.
Incidently, flight operations at Reagan National started to stabilize around midday on Thursday post-crash. This incident stands as the most devastating aviation accident in the U.S. since the American Airlines crash into a residential area in Belle Harbor, New York in November 2001, which resulted in a total of 265 fatalities.
Although the last significant fatal crash involving a major U.S. airline occurred in 2009, statistical analyses confirm the relative safety of air travel. The National Safety Council notes that the odds of dying in a vehicle accident far exceed those of dying in an airplane crash.
However, the airspace surrounding Reagan National is notoriously challenging for pilots, even under favorable conditions, due to the high volume of commercial and military aircraft and restricted zones around sensitive areas.
Interestingly, just over a day preceding the collision, a different regional flight was forced to divert its landing approach due to a nearby military helicopter, which successfully landed shortly thereafter.
