All major wreckage from the January 29th midair collision in Washington, D.C., has been successfully removed from the Potomac River. The recovery of all 67 victims was completed the day before, with identification confirmed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, alongside the U.S. Coast Guard and D.C. fire officials, worked diligently to remove both the jet and helicopter within four days. The NTSB is continuing its investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Thursday evening that crews have successfully removed all major pieces of wreckage from the Potomac River following the devastating midair collision in Washington, D.C. This announcement came just a day after the remains of all 67 victims were recovered and positively identified, and a little over a week after the tragic crash occurred. The Unified Command, which includes D.C. fire officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S.
Coast Guard, stated that both the jet and helicopter were successfully removed in four days. Pre-staging operations began on January 31st, and the initial removal of large wreckage commenced on February 3rd. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Baltimore District, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) emphasized that this was a significant milestone in their salvage operations. They confirmed that all major components of both the American Airlines regional jet and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter were removed from the river and are being transported to a hangar at Reagan National Airport. These components will be thoroughly examined by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as part of their ongoing investigation.Col. Francis Pera, Commander of the USACE Baltimore District, expressed gratitude for the dedicated efforts of the Unified Command personnel, stating, 'Thanks to the exhaustive efforts of Unified Command personnel, we were able to safely remove all major wreckage components of both the jet and helicopter from the Potomac in four days while simultaneously aiding recovery efforts to reunite families who are mourning the tremendous loss of their loved ones.' He further added that salvage crews will now concentrate on clearing smaller debris in the remaining debris field using salvage baskets before demobilizing equipment by February 16th. Pera assured that they would continue their work until they were confident that the river was safe for navigation and that all elements of evidentiary value had been recovered and provided to the appropriate authorities.Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a briefing regarding the January 29th incident was conducted before members of a Senate committee on commerce and transportation. This briefing included the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is leading the investigation, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Although the briefing was not open to the public, Senate committee members revealed that it encompassed numerous questions concerning the equipment onboard both aircraft, personnel levels, and airspace traffic. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tx., who chairs the committee, emphasized the need to thoroughly investigate the incident, stating, 'We need to follow the evidence. We need to determine exactly what caused it and then we need to learn lessons from the cause of that accident and do everything we can to prevent subsequent accidents.' He also noted that there was no indication from the investigation that airspace congestion was the cause of the collision. Sen. Andy Kim, D-NJ, expressed his desire to understand the detection equipment on both aircraft, highlighting the importance of addressing potential challenges and evaluating standard practices, particularly in a densely populated area like D.C. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, while acknowledging the ongoing investigation, expressed hope for regulatory changes based on the findings. She stressed the need to avoid hasty judgments and allow the NTSB to conduct a comprehensive analysis. She commended the collaborative efforts between the army and the NTSB, stating that the atmosphere during the briefing was focused on uncovering every detail to ensure a thorough understanding of what transpired. The NTSB, at its first news conference on January 30th, announced that its preliminary report would be released within 30 days of the incident. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-KS, indicated that final conclusions from the investigation might take several months. He reiterated the importance of prioritizing safety and expressed confidence that Congress would be willing to take necessary steps to address any identified issues. The investigation into the cause of the deadly midair collision is ongoing
Plane Crash Potomac River Wreckage Recovery NTSB Investigation National Transportation Safety Board Federal Aviation Administration Midair Collision
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