Authorities announced Feb. 4 that the remains of all 67 victims of last week’s deadly midair collision, between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, have been recovered.
The collision occurred on Jan. 29 as the commercial jet was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington. All 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the flight, as well as three Army personnel on the helicopter, were killed.
According to Unified Command, 66 victims have been positively identified. Efforts are ongoing to confirm the identity of the final set of remains.
“Our hearts are with the victims’ families as they navigate this tragic loss. We extend our deepest condolences and remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time,” the statement reads.
Unified Command includes D.C. Fire and EMS, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving. The agencies emphasized their commitment to ensuring closure for the families and a dignified recovery process for all victims as salvage operations continue.
Recovery teams have been working around the clock to recover the wreckage from the Potomac River, where both aircraft crashed. Col. Francis B. Pera of the Army Corps of Engineers said that crews have successfully retrieved one of the jet’s engines, along with other large components, and aim to recover a wing by Feb. 5, weather permitting. Once the plane’s wreckage is secured, efforts will shift to retrieving the Black Hawk helicopter.
Officials urged the public to report any potential debris spotted along the Potomac or Anacostia Rivers and to avoid touching or moving items to preserve evidence for the investigation.
“While all victims have been identified, salvage operations will continue with a strict commitment to the dignified recovery of any additional remains,” Unified Command said in the statement.
Among the victims were figure skaters returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, including the 1994 pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The Black Hawk was on a training mission, carrying Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach.
Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the American Airlines jetliner involved in the collision. The flight data recorder is in good condition, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman told reporters. He noted that water had entered the cockpit voice recorder, complicating the recovery of its data.
The helicopter’s black box, which contains its flight data, was at NTSB headquarters and appears undamaged, Inman said.
Inman also stated that the crash happened so abruptly from just over 300 feet that there was no evidence of emergency safety equipment being deployed before the plane struck the water.
The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash, which marks the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since 2001. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, though full investigations typically take over a year.
