An American Airlines regional jet with 60 passengers and four crew members crashed into the Potomac River in Washington D. Officials announced in a statement on Feb. The salvage team on Tuesday recovered part of the fuselage and right engine of the Bombardier CRJ passenger jet and will retrieve the Sikorsky UH Black Hawk after the airplane has been recovered.
Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. Or with:. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a regional jet collided midair with an army helicopter about 8 p. It was operated by PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of the company.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it has completed interviews with air traffic controllers. It also said it had obtained training and flight logs for both flight crews and maintenance records for both aircraft and is building histories for both flight crews. Preliminary data showed conflicting readings about the altitudes of the two aircraft. Data in the control tower showed the Black Hawk helicopter at feet β its maximum allowed altitude β at the time.
They did not say whether that change in angle meant that pilots were trying to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid the crash.
Full NTSB investigations typically take a year or more. Investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days. American Airlines confirmed there were 60 passengers and four crew members onboard the jet. On Sunday, family members were taken in buses with a police escort to the Potomac River bank near where the two aircraft came to rest after colliding.
