ARLINGTON, Va. — Families of the victims from the tragic air disaster, marking the most lethal aviation incident in the U.S. since 2001, gathered at the crash site near Washington, D.C., on Sunday. They walked along the banks of the Potomac River adjacent to Reagan National Airport to honor and remember their loved ones.
A sizable group arrived via buses, escorted by police, close to the site where an American Airlines jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of all 67 individuals on board both aircraft. While federal investigators are diligently working to uncover the sequence of events leading to the crash, recovery teams are in the process of retrieving more wreckage from the cold waters of the river.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the situation on Sunday, expressing his desire for federal aviation investigators to have the necessary space to conduct their inquiry. However, he raised several questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the crash during his appearances on morning news programs.
“What was the situation inside the control towers? Were they experiencing understaffing? What was the altitude of the Black Hawk, and were its pilots utilizing night vision goggles?” Duffy questioned while on CNN.
The ill-fated American Airlines flight was en route from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 passengers, while the Army Black Hawk was on a training mission carrying three soldiers. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River following their collision. Passengers on the American Airlines flight included figure skaters returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and a group of hunters returning from a guided excursion.
The helicopter’s crew included Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, from Lilburn, Georgia, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, from Great Mills, Maryland, and Captain Rebecca M. Lobach from Durham, North Carolina, all of whom lost their lives in the incident.
On Saturday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed preliminary data indicating conflicting altitude readings for both the airliner and the Army helicopter. Just before the impact, the flight recorder from the jet showed a change in pitch; however, investigators refrained from stating whether this alteration indicated that pilots were attempting evasive maneuvers to avert the collision.
Data revealed that the airliner recorded an altitude of 325 feet (99 meters), while control tower information placed the Black Hawk at 200 feet (61 meters), which is the maximum allowed altitude for helicopters in the area. Investigators are currently looking to resolve this discrepancy with data from the helicopter’s black box, which has become waterlogged and thus slower to retrieve. To ensure that the tower’s data is refined, the NTSB aims to clarify these conflicting readings.
“Our responsibility is to solve this mystery,” stated NTSB member Todd Inman, while lead investigator Brice Banning added, “This investigation is complex, and there are many elements to assemble. Our team is diligently working to gather all necessary information.”
Banning mentioned that the cockpit voice recorder captured sounds just prior to the crash, indicating that the crew reacted vocally before the impact, and that sounds of collision were recorded one second later. Full NTSB investigations typically span at least a year; however, there is an expectation to release a preliminary report within 30 days.
Inman shared that he has engaged in lengthy discussions with the families of the victims, many of whom are in a state of distress. “Some have embraced us, while others are filled with anger. They are all grieving and are in need of answers — we are determined to provide them,” he stated.
As of Saturday afternoon, rescue teams had retrieved 42 remains from the river, with 38 of those positively identified. Authorities are optimistic about recovering all remains, although some debris will need to be lifted from the water, including the aircraft’s fuselage. More than 300 responders have been involved in the recovery efforts, along with two Navy salvage barges to manage the heavy wreckage.
Duffy indicated on Fox News Sunday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was reviewing staffing issues within the Reagan Airport control tower. Five controllers were on duty during the accident, including a local controller, ground controller, assistant controller, and two supervisors. An FAA report highlighted an atypical practice where one controller managed both aircraft and helicopter traffic, a protocol generally delegated to two individuals, though it’s combined at 9:30 p.m. when traffic diminishes.
“We recognize that air traffic control staffing shortages have been a long-standing issue,” Duffy remarked, assuring that the administration would tackle these shortages with capable personnel managing airspace.
In a coinciding tragedy, an air ambulance crashed in Philadelphia on Friday, resulting in six fatalities, including a child who was returning to Mexico after receiving treatment, along with at least one person on the ground. Furthermore, on the same day, the FAA imposed heavy restrictions on helicopter operations around Reagan National Airport following President Trump’s allegations that the Army helicopter was flying higher than permitted.
Wednesday’s incident represents the deadliest aviation accident in the U.S. since November 12, 2001, when a plane crashed into a residential area in Queens, New York, killing 260 people aboard and five more on the ground. While experts consistently advocate that air travel is predominantly safe, the congested airspace around Reagan National presents challenges even for experienced pilots.
