On Wednesday night, tragedy struck when an American Eagle flight and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Washington DC, resulting in the deaths of all 67 people onboard both aircraft. The flight was approaching Reagan National Airport when the crash happened, sending the wreckage into the icy Potomac River.
Investigators have already recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the plane, and they’re being analyzed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). These could provide crucial details about what went wrong. Preliminary findings suggest that understaffing in the air traffic control tower at Reagan National may have played a role in the disaster. The airport had reportedly been understaffed, with a single controller managing both arrivals, departures, and helicopter traffic, a job that usually requires two controllers.
This collision, which killed 64 passengers and crew members on the plane, along with three soldiers on the helicopter, was the first fatal commercial air crash in the US since 2009. It has already stirred up political debate. President Donald Trump called it “preventable” and suggested that staffing changes made under President Joe Biden could have contributed to the accident. However, he didn’t provide evidence for his claims, which were quickly dismissed by his critics, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Despite the political finger-pointing, the NTSB is focusing on getting to the bottom of the crash, with an expected preliminary report in the next 30 days. In the meantime, emergency workers have been tirelessly recovering the wreckage, including body parts and debris, from the Potomac River, braving tough conditions like icy waters and high winds. Among the victims were several members of the US Figure Skating community, as the flight had just come from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas.
The crash has deeply shaken the nation, and local leaders, including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, have expressed their grief. While Reagan National Airport resumed operations, the devastation of the accident continues to resonate with families and the wider public.
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