The National Transportation Safety Board has released an update on the status of its investigation into the midair collision that occurred on Jan. 29 near Ronald Reagan National Airport, revealing that all major pieces from both the airplane and the helicopter involved have now been recovered from the Potomac River.
According to the news release, the pieces have been moved to a secure airport facility for further examination and documentation. And “investigators will be looking for witness marks on the aircraft that could provide clues to the angle of collision.”
As part of their search, a scan of the riverbed was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration overnight on Saturday using advanced imaging technology. The technology, known as Topobathy lidar, uses light-based sensors to measure and record land, water, and submerged land at the same time.
The scan identified “multiple underwater targets” that could potentially be additional aircraft debris; according to the NTSB’s statement, divers investigated those targets on Saturday and will continue to do so during the week.
The horrifying midair collision involved an American Airlines aircraft and a Black Hawk helicopter. All 67 people on board both aircraft were killed.
As investigators seek to understand the cause of the collision, the Trump administration suggested that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs could be to blame for the tragedy. The former fiancée of Captain Jonathan Campos, the American Airlines pilot killed in the crash, told the media that it was inappropriate for Trump to politicize the crash, telling ABC News, “This man’s body hadn’t even been pulled out of the river yet, and we’re talking about him being unqualified because his name is Campos.”
