Remains of all collision victims recovered
NTSB investigates altitude data
ARLINGTON, Va. — The remains of all 67 victims of last week’s midair collision of an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital have been recovered, authorities said Tuesday. All but one has been identified.
Meanwhile the NTSB said it was examining new data that could put the helicopter above its 200-foot flight ceiling. The airport’s air traffic control screen — relying on radar sensors and other data — had it at 300 feet, the agency said. However that figure would have been rounded to the nearest 100 feet, according to authorities.
Investigators said they need to get more information from the still-submerged Black Hawk to verify the data.
The jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet.
Earlier in the day, crews working in choppy conditions raised a number of large pieces of the jetliner from the Potomac River, including the right wing, the center fuselage and parts of the forward cabin, cockpit, tail cone and rudder.
“Our hearts are with the victims’ families as they navigate this tragic loss,” officials said in a joint statement from the city and federal agencies involved in the search and recovery, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navy dive teams and Washington police and fire crews.
The chief medical examiner will be working to positively identify the final set of remains, officials said.
The collision occurred last Wednesday night as the plane was about to land at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing everyone on board both aircraft.