WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — D.C. authorities gave an update Saturday afternoon regarding the recovery efforts for the deadly plane crash near Reagan National Airport (DCA) that happened earlier in the week.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, A U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane collided, causing both to crash into the Potomac River. Officials confirmed Thursday that there were no suspected survivors. All 64 people on the American Airlines flight and the three soldiers aboard the helicopter were killed.
Following the crash, responders from several agencies have been working to recover the bodies of those who were on board the aircraft. As of Friday, crews had recovered 41 remains and identified 28.
In the Saturday update, Unified Command said recovery operations have continued on the Potomac River, as crews have conducted dive operations, utilized side-scan sonar, canvassed shorelines and used “aerial assets” to assist with the search.
As a result of the efforts, crews have now pulled 42 bodies from the river, and the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has positively identified 38 of them.
Officials also said the U.S. Coast Guard is at the crash site with “numerous resources” to assist with search efforts and is also enforcing a “safety zone” on the river.
“Today, salvage crews from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving are assessing the area and preparing for the recovery of the aircraft. Divers from the salvage company are surveying the wreckage throughout the day,” Unified Command wrote in the update.
Authorities also noted that additional equipment and barges are expected to arrive late afternoon; however, no wreckage is expected to be removed on Saturday.
On Friday night, crews used a crane to “stabilize” the involved Blackhawk helicopter. However, officials noted that it has still not been removed from the water.
Authorities remind the public that the Potomac River north of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge remains closed to all watercraft until further notice.
“The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), American and PAL Airlines, and District officials continue to support victims’ families through the Family Assistance Center, ensuring they have access to resources and information,” authorities said in the update, in part. “Unified Command appreciates the continued support from local, regional, and federal partners and thanks the community for its generosity.”
NTSB is set to give another update at 6 p.m.
