An American Airlines regional passenger jet carrying 64 people en route from Kansas collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sending both aircraft into the icy Potomac River near Washington, D.C, APA reports citing CNBC.
The National Transportation Safety Board has recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, the NTSB said in a statement late Thursday.
The so-called black boxes are now on their way to the NTSB labs for investigation and will provide clues as to what went wrong.
At least 30 bodies have been recovered from the scene as of Thursday evening, including all three soldiers who were on the helicopter.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” D.C. fire and EMS chief John A. Donnelly said Thursday during a news conference.
American Airlines has set up a hotline for anyone concerned about a loved one who may have been on the flight. That number is 1-800-679-8215.
During a Thursday press conference, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said the flight manifest with a list of names is expected Friday afternoon. Kelly said there were people from overseas on the flight and their families are still being notified.
The body of the plane was reportedly found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water.
An FAA report obtained by the Associated Press said staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not normal.”
The report said one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash, calling the configuration “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”
However, a person familiar with the matter told AP that staffing was at a normal level on Wednesday night. They said positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, are in the process of a shift change, or air traffic is slow.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it cannot comment on the specifics of the crash at this time, and “it would be premature to speculate on the root cause of this accident.”
“NATCA mourns the tragic loss of life as a result of the accident that occurred at Washington National (DCA) airport last night between a regional jet and a helicopter,” NATCA President Nick Daniels said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected by this event.”
