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By Natalie Venegas
Weekend Reporter
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to begin removing the wreckage of both the jet and helicopter involved in Wednesday's midair crash in Washington, D.C., from the Potomac River on Monday as officials reveal that 55 of the 67 victims have been recovered.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers via email for comment.
Why It Matters
American Airlines Flight 5342 originating from Wichita, Kansas, collided with the Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.
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The plane and helicopter plummeted into the Potomac River, leading to an extensive search-and-rescue operation. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said authorities "don't believe there are any survivors" and that efforts underway at the scene of the crash have changed from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. There were 64 people onboard the American Airlines flight and three military members aboard the helicopter.
It was the first major aviation disaster involving an airline in the U.S. since 2009.
What To Know
According to ABC News on Saturday evening, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin to remove the wreckage of the crash on Monday as they have released a tentative timeline for salvage operations, which will first focus on the American Airlines plane.
"The initial focus is removal of the remnants of the regional jet, which is expected to take three days," the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a news release.
Following the removal of the plane, crews will begin work to recover the Black Hawk helicopter as "large lifts" are expected to be completed by Saturday, February 8, according to ABC News.
While the removal effort is expected to be completed by February 12, crews will also focus on clearing remaining debris with salvage baskets.
This follows the update from authorities that 55 of the 67 people killed in the crash have been recovered from the river, according to The Associated Press: Donnelly told reporters that divers still need to find 12 more victims and will continue their search even as preparation to remove the wreckage is underway.
Wednesday night's crash has highlighted concerns about air traffic control, aviation safety procedures and challenges that come with navigating shared airspaces near major metropolitan hubs.
Investigators said on Saturday evening that readings from the American Airlines jet at the time of impact showed it was flying at 325 feet, plus or minus 25.
The FBI recovered the voice recorder in the cockpit and the flight data recorder from the aircraft on Thursday.
However, a preliminary review of information seen by air traffic controllers in the tower at the airport showed the Black Hawk traveling at roughly 200 feet shortly before the accident, Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigating the crash, said during a media briefing. The discrepancy suggests the helicopter was believed to be flying over 200 feet.
However, this cannot yet be explained, Inman said.
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What People Are Saying
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at a press conference: "When we deal with safety, we can only accept the best and the brightest in positions of safety that impact the lives of our loved ones, our family members, and I think you make a really important point on that Mr. President. That is the motto of your presidency: the best and the brightest, the most intelligent, coming into these spaces."
Colonel Francis B. Pera of the Army Corps of Engineers told reporters: "Reuniting those lost in this tragic incident is really what keeps us all going."
Tom Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said at a press conference about the crash on Saturday: "Unfortunately, at some point, all of you are gonna be gone. We're still gonna have the investigation open. We're going to make recommendations...We have several hundred recommendations open for aviation. You wanna do something about it? Adopt a recommendation of the NTSB. You'll save lives."
What Happens Next
An investigation into the cause of the accident remains ongoing.
Inman told reporters on Thursday that the NTSB will issue a preliminary report on the D.C. crash within 30 days and will subsequently release a final report "once we've completed all of our fact-finding and investigation."
Update, 2/2/25 at 5:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and quotes about the recovery efforts.
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