Officials have successfully located the cockpit voice recorder, commonly referred to as the black box, from the helicopter involved in the crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The accident occurred on Wednesday when an American Airlines flight collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers and had 64 passengers aboard. Recovery teams will intensify their operations to locate remaining debris over the weekend; as of Friday, 28 victims have been identified, and 41 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed regulatory measures, restricting helicopter flights around the airport in light of safety concerns over airspace congestion following the incident. Investigators had previously retrieved the black boxes from the passenger plane wreckage the day after the collision. Moisture extraction from these devices is underway, with National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman announcing that data retrieval could occur "very soon."
Inman also confirmed that the primary recovery efforts would commence on Saturday, spearheaded by the U.S. Navy, with the aim of lifting parts of the aircraft from the river before divers can safely enter the water. Comprehensive mapping of the debris is underway to analyze the crash dynamics, with larger segments of the aircraft scheduled for crane removal starting Sunday.
With over 500 personnel working continuously at the aftermath site, inquiries have arisen regarding the air traffic control situation on the day of the crash, particularly scrutiny over whether the same controller managed both helicopter and airplane traffic. Although Inman refrained from specific comments, he assured the examination of the controller's operational history prior to the incident.
President Donald Trump has publicly suggested unverified claims about the crash's circumstances, including that the helicopter was flying too high and speculation concerning staffing practices at the FAA. Inman emphasized the NTSB's commitment to uncovering factual information and ensuring that such a tragedy is never repeated.
