By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s been nine days since the deadliest U.S. aviation accident in over 20 years. Since then, crews have been working around the clock to recover victims and debris.
The bodies of all 67 victims have been pulled from the wreckage and identified. As of Friday, all major components of American Airlines flight 5342 and the Black Hawk helicopter have been pulled from the Potomac River and relocated to a secure hangar for a “full wreckage layout and examination.”
“With experts looking at this, we will find out exactly what caused this horrible incident,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R- MI), a former commercial airline and military pilot.
Investigators continue to comb through evidence, including flight recordings from both aircrafts. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is working to piece together exactly what happened.
“Every piece of information is critical to the investigation,” said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB.
This week, lawmakers on Capitol Hill sought answers from FAA and NTSB officials in the early stages of their investigation during a briefing with members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
“Air traffic control modernization would make everyone safer and it is the right thing to do,” said Senator Ted Cruz (R- TX).
When speaking with reporters after the briefing, Sen. Cruz said officials informed lawmakers the helicopter’s ADS-B data was turned off. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, ADS–B, provides more detailed information about an aircraft’s location, altitude and ground speed to other aircraft and air traffic control.
Investigators are also looking closely at the Black Hawk’s altitude of the time of the collision. The exact altitude is still under examination, however, the NTSB stated the military aircraft was flying well above its strict altitude limit of 200 feet.
After Thursday’s briefing, the FAA announced it will be taking a closer look at other airports across the country that also see high volumes of helicopter traffic in the same area as commercial jets.
“I asked the FAA today to conduct a review of helicopter routes, not just at DCA, but at other airports across the country,” said Sen. Cruz.
“This review has to happen nationwide,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D- IL).
Two of Reagan National’s three runways remain closed during the ongoing salvage operation. According to the NTSB, search teams continue to look for additional, smaller parts of the Black Hawk in the Potomac River.
