Flight recorder found
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Following the tragic plane crash in Washington, in which 67 people are believed to have died, the recovery of bodies and the search for the cause of the accident is underway.
Emergency services combed the Potomac River in the US capital, where a passenger plane and a military helicopter crashed after a mid-air collision. They found more fatalities there. The authorities assume that there are no survivors.
There is still no official information on the cause of the devastating accident. US media reported irregularities in air traffic control at the time of the accident. There has been no official confirmation of this. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has begun an investigation, but explicitly warned against jumping to conclusions and asked for patience. US President Donald Trump, however, rushed forward with accusations of blame.
The recovery of the fatalities
A passenger plane collided with a military helicopter on landing at Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA) on Wednesday evening. Both crashed into the water. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the plane. There were three crew members on board the helicopter. According to the authorities, all 67 people died in the accident.
Overnight, rescue workers with boats and divers searched feverishly for survivors in the icy waters of the Potomac River - but without success. According to the authorities, more than two dozen dead bodies were pulled from the water in the first few hours after the accident. According to US media, more bodies were later recovered - more than 40 in total so far. Emergency services expressed confidence that they would be able to recover all the bodies in the end. However, this could take longer due to adverse conditions and the search in a large underwater area.
The video in this article shows the accident:
Report of irregularity in control tower
The flight recorders of the crashed passenger plane have since been found. They are now being analyzed, reported several US media outlets. Experts hope that this will provide insights into the cause of the accident. So far, there are no indications of criminality or terrorism.
The "New York Times" and other US media reported, citing an internal FAA report, that at the time of the collision an air traffic controller was assigned to two positions in the control tower at Ronald Reagan Airport. The controller was responsible for helicopters in the vicinity of the airport as well as for aircraft on the runways. The assignment in the control tower was "not normal for the time of day and the volume of traffic".
Investigators ask for patience
The accident investigation authority NTSB has not provided any details - and generally little information so far. According to the agency, the passenger plane hit the water very quickly and there was no indication that rescue slides had been activated, for example. NTSB investigators also stated that the helicopter was at the wrong altitude. Otherwise, however, they were initially very cautious about the content of their investigation.
"You have to give us time", asked the head of the authorities, Jennifer Homendy. The investigators had data and large amounts of information. Evaluating and verifying this would take time. The investigations have only just begun. Another NTSB representative, Todd Inman, also emphasized that the agency would not speculate in advance about the possible cause. The aim is to present a preliminary report within 30 days.
Trump is quick to point the finger of blame
US President Trump had previously complained publicly that it always takes far too long for information on the cause to emerge after such accidents. "We don't know what led to this crash," said the President, "but we have some very strong opinions and ideas." He offered these, suggesting that the helicopter pilot was at fault and blaming diversity programs in air traffic control for the accident.
The programs at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were aimed at "hiring people with severe intellectual and mental disabilities". People with impaired hearing or vision, missing limbs, paralysis, epilepsy, severe mental disabilities and dwarfism all qualified for the position of air traffic controller, he claimed. Trump also explicitly attacked the policies of his Democratic predecessors Barack Obama and Joe Biden with regard to air traffic control.
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