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Authorities have actually recovered 41 bodies after an aircraft crash in Washington DC.

Sixty-seven individuals were killed when an American Airlines jet and employment a military helicopter collided mid-air on Wednesday night. Up until now, 28 bodies have actually been identified.

Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the accident. Some 300 personnel were sent to the scene, but the rescue soon turned into a healing mission as officials stated there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the current updates

Federal detectives have actually recovered the black boxes from the guest jet, while authorities were still searching for similar gadgets in the helicopter.

Meanwhile, amid concerns over how well the airport's control tower was staffed on the night of the crash, employment it's been verified that an air traffic control service supervisor had let a controller leave their shift early.

The detail, first reported by the New york city Times, has actually been validated to Sky News' US partner NBC News by a source acquainted with the investigation.

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It indicates a single controller was handling both aircraft and helicopter traffic in the area when the 2 aircraft collided.

It is permitted - however not optimal - for one controller to do both tasks, NBC News reported.

The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 passengers and 4 team when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, soon before 9pm regional time on Wednesday.

Flight 5342 was preparing to arrive on runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with the helicopter in one of the most firmly managed airspaces worldwide.

'Em ergency automobiles sped past me'

A man whose other half was on the flight has recalled how he saw emergency services "speeding past" as he was waiting at the airport to pick her up.

Hamaad Raza told NBC News his other half of 2 years, Asra, had actually "texted me [and] said, 'We're landing in 20 minutes'".

" I was waiting and I started seeing a lot of EMS vehicles speeding past me ... way too numerous, [more] than typical and my texts weren't going through."

Trump makes unproven variety drive claim

Donald Trump has actually connected a diversity drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous federal governments to the crash.

It has because been stated there is no proof to support the US president's claim.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, employment Mr Trump suggested the variety efforts had actually made flight less safe.

At a White House press instruction on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had actually signed a memorandum directing an instant assessment of FAA employing decisions made during the previous administration.

While Mr Trump's claim appears to have actually been unmasked, there are questions over staffing at Reagan Washington National Airport.

NBC News reported staffing in the air traffic control tower was "not typical", according to a preliminary FAA report.

The tower typically has a controller who focuses particularly on helicopter traffic - but at the time of the crash, a source stated, one controller was managing both plane and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which manages air traffic control along with accreditation of personnel and airplane, lacks an irreversible administrator. Its former employer Michael Whitaker stepped down on 20 January - the day of Mr Trump's inauguration.

Follow Trump 100 on your podcast app Mr Trump has actually selected an acting administrator, Chris Rocheleau, in the wake of the crash.

Mr Whitaker had encountered Mr Trump's confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX rocket launches during his tenure at the FAA.

Since starting as head of the administration in October 2023, employment he was likewise required to react to Boeing's safety and quality issues, and worked to hire more air traffic controllers due to a shortage of staff.

Read more:.
Washington DC airplane crash: What we understand so far.
Air traffic control heard diverting airplanes minutes after collision

At his rundown, employment Mr Trump blamed former president Joe Biden for reducing standards for air traffic controllers.

" We need to have our smartest individuals," he said. "They have to be naturally gifted geniuses."

Mr Trump added: "The FAA is actively recruiting employees who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric issues, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and addition hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's site."

The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, saying in a statement on X: "FAA staff members with specials needs did not trigger [the] tragic aircraft crash.

" The examination into the crash is still continuous. It is incredibly inappropriate for the president to utilize this disaster to push an anti-diversity hiring agenda. Doing so makes all Americans less safe."

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Mr Trump stated after being sworn in recently, he signed an executive order which "brought back the highest requirements of air traffic controllers".

At a later rundown, he was asked if gender or race contributed. He responded to: "It might have, I don't understand.

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