(NewsNation) — Crews have recovered several more pieces of the regional passenger jet that plunged into the Potomac River last week after it collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, killing all 67 people on both aircraft, federal authorities said.
Among the Bombardier CRJ700 parts pulled from the water were the right wing and a portion of the left wing, “significant portions” of the forward cabin and cockpit, part of the left fuselage and the tail cone, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
All of the wreckage will be moved to a secure location to be examined, the agency said.
Meantime, NTSB officials said the latest data suggests the Black Hawk that collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 on Jan. 29 was at 300 feet, but officials added they need more information from the helicopter, which is expected to be pulled from the water later this week.
Unified Command confirmed Tuesday that all 67 victims — 64 from the jet, three from the Army helicopter — had been recovered, with 66 of them positively identified.
The crash happened after a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers struck the plane, which originated from Wichita, Kansas, as it came in for a landing at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Those on board the plane included members of the U.S. and Russian figure skating communities. Crews began pulling wreckage from the Potomac River on Monday and began work to recover and identify additional victims.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, with officials discouraging speculation, even as President Donald Trump publicly blamed diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for the crash.
It’s believed FAA staffing in the air traffic control tower was lower than ideal, and there is conflicting information about the helicopter’s altitude before the crash. The crew did have night-vision goggles on board, but it is not known if they were wearing them at the time.
Questions have also been raised about an increase in traffic into Reagan Airport even as the FAA has struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers. There have also been questions about why a helicopter was being allowed to operate in such close proximity to passenger planes.
The FAA instituted temporary airspace restrictions around the airport following the crash. It is not clear how long they will remain in place.