Investigators recover black boxes from plane in DC crash

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(NewsNation) — Investigators have recovered the two black boxes from the American Airlines regional passenger jet that was carrying 64 people when it collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Officials urged the public at a news conference this afternoon that their investigation “will take some time.”

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. The agency intends to have a preliminary report within 30 days.

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.”

“This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C. and Wichita, Kansas, forever,” Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said at a Thursday morning news conference.

Wu said the city will have additional resources, especially for affected staff.

“I am grieving with everyone in our community and those in Washington, D.C.,” she said, adding that she didn’t know how many, if any, Wichita residents were aboard the flight.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the nation’s capital is grieving along with families in Kansas and across the country.

“This morning, we all share a profound sense of grief,” Bowser said Thursday.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday ordered flags throughout the State of Kansas to be flown at half-staff immediately until sundown on Thursday, Feb. 6.

International Skating Union President Jae Youl Kim said: “to lose so many members of our community in this way brings sadness beyond words.”

“We share our deepest, most sincere condolences with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in this terrible crash,” Kim said.

DC plane crash: What we know

The midair crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. local time Wednesday, shutting down the airport until 11 a.m. Thursday.

Part of the investigation will revolve around an interaction with air traffic control in the final moments before the collision.

“We have early indicators of what happened here and I will tell you with complete confidence we have the safest airspace in the world,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

According to investigators, the plane was cleared to land at a shorter runway just minutes before at Reagan National. The pilots acknowledged the change as well. Air traffic control also asked the helicopter if it could see the plane and if it could pass behind it, but, seconds later, the crash occurred.

“When one person dies, it’s a tragedy. But when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow. It’s a heartbreak beyond measure,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told reporters at a news conference at Reagan National Airport. “We’ve been through things like this before — through tornadoes and floods and things — but it’s really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously.”

There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard American Eagle Flight 5342, according to American Airlines. The FAA said the plane was a Bombardier CRJ700 arriving from Wichita, Kansas.

A U.S. Army official said the helicopter was a UH-60 Black Hawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation, said both pilots were experienced and had flown the specific route before. The pilot-in-command had 1,000 flying hours, and their co-pilot had just under 500.

U.S. Rep Mark Green, R-Tenn., a former flight surgeon for the U.S. Army Night Stalkers, told NewsNation that flying in an urban environment with night vision goggles presents challenges but moving lights, like those on a plane, should have been detectable.

“If the [night vision goggles] are on, you should see those lights,” he told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on Thursday.

Who are the victims?

All 64 people aboard the flight from Wichita, Kansas and three soldiers on a U.S. Army helicopter are believed to be dead but the full list of names isn’t expected until Friday afternoon.

The victims include figure skaters and coaches, as well as, members of the Washington, D.C., branch of the Steamfitters union.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.

United Association Steamfitters said four of its members were on board the American Airlines flight.

“May they rest in peace,” UA Local 602, based in Prince George’s County, Maryland, said on X.

One of the crew members killed in the crash was First Officer Sam Lilley, his father Tim Lilley, confirmed to NewsNation.

Two Chinese nationals were also among the victims of the crash, according to the Chinese embassy in the U.S.

Here are the victims we know so far:

• Melissa Jane Nicandri
• Kiah Duggins
• Olivia Ter
• Donna Smojice Livingston
• Peter Livingston
• Everly Livingston
• Alydia Livingston
• Mikey Stovall
• Tommy Clagett
• Steve Johnson
• John Boyd
• Grace Maxwell
• Robert “Bobby” Schrock
• Lori Schrock
• Sasha Kirsanov
• Ian Epstein
• Sam Lilley
• Evgenia Shishkova
• Vadim Naumov
• Jinna Han
• Jin Han
• Spencer Lane
• Christine Lane

Plane crash being investigated

The National Transportation Safety Board arrived on the scene to begin an investigation while first responders, including divers, continued their work in cold and windy conditions.

Investigators will zero in on how the plane experienced a rapid loss of altitude on its approach over the Potomac.

NTSB officials said at a news conference Thursday that the agency intends to have a preliminary report on the plane crash in 30 days. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the board, said while it is an “all hands on deck event,” they are going to allow first responders to do their “important safety mission.”

To determine the cause of the crash, Homendy said the NTSB will look at the “human, machine and the environment.”

Homendy said briefed the president and vice president. Families will be briefed later Thursday, Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board said.

“May God Bless their souls,” President Donald Trump said in a statement late Wednesday. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”

On Thursday, Trump appeared to blame diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration for weakening safety.

Speaking to press from the White House briefing room, Trump also blasted previous Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and efforts by the FAA to hire individuals with disabilities.

“He’s run it right into the ground with his diversity,” Trump said. Asked about how he could be so sure diversity played a role in the crash, when he acknowledged himself the air traffic controllers might not have done anything wrong, Trump claimed it was “common sense,” according to The Hill.

The president also signed an executive order Thursday afternoon to prioritize “competence” over “DEI.” He then clarified that he does not know if DEI played a role but incompetence was likely a factor.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump’s remarks.

“For the president of the United States to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered and families are still being notified, it just turns your stomach,” Schumer said.

Buttigieg called them “despicable.”

“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he said. “We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”

Reagan National was the site of another crash in the ’80s

Wednesday’s disaster evoked memories of a deadly crash at the same airport on Jan. 13, 1982. An Air Florida jet crashed into a bridge after takeoff and fell into the Potomac, killing more than 70 people, including motorists. Four passengers and one crew member were rescued.

“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at DCA tonight,” the Air Line Pilots Association said Wednesday, referring to Reagan National by its airport code name. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy.”

People who believe they have family members on the flights and are looking for further information are asked to call 800-697-8215.

The Associated Press and NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this post.