Washington – All major portions of the American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter that collided in Washington, DC last week have been recovered, the National Transportation Safety Board announced on Saturday.
The remains from two aircraft crashed on January 29th on the Potomac River near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were taken to a safe airport facility for further investigation, according to the NTSB.
“Investigators will be looking for an aircraft eyewitness who can provide clues to the angle of the crash,” the agency said in a news release on Saturday evening.
Investigators were searching for wreckage from last week's fatal air collision and conducted an overnight scan of the Potomac River. On the Potomac River, aircraft fell to map the riverbed and find the remains using advanced imaging techniques.
The scan was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Saturday from 2am to 5am by deploying green laser pulses using aircraft to map riverbeds and finding debris from the collision. Called Topobathy Lidar, this technology is designed to create detailed underwater images and guide your recovery team.
The investigation “identified multiple underwater targets that could become fragments of additional aircraft,” the NTSB said it released on Saturday. “Divers are researching these goals today and will continue with the work this week.”
The scan was originally scheduled to take place overnight on Friday, but was delayed until Saturday, and weather allowed, the NTSB said. Information from Saturday's scan will be part of the NTSB's ongoing investigation, the agency told CNN.
The January 29 crash killed 67 people near Reagan National Airport.
The NTSB, along with Naval Systems Command Supervisors from Salvage and Diving, lifted many of the Black Hawks and most other debris from the river on Thursday.
Investigators began examining materials and flight data for both aircraft to reconstruct the events leading up to the crash.
The lawmaker explained the investigation
Lawmakers were explained by investigators who looked into the conflict on Thursday, but no significant new findings were revealed, they said.
After the briefing, NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy still decided whether Blackhawk ADS-B system (advanced surveillance technology that provides real-time tracking data) would be installed and operational in the event of a crash. He said that.
“I believe helicopters have avionics that they need to evaluate to determine what they have and what happened. More things to come in the future,” Homendy told reporters. Ta.
The ADS-B system sends important information, including speed, such as aircraft location, altitude, positioning, and speed, to other aircraft and air traffic controllers. Whether the system played a role in last week's clash has been a focus for lawmakers.
“It was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off,” Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce and Transport Committee, said I said that.
“It's not clear if the technology has been turned on, but the Army has confirmed it has been installed on the aircraft,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Army Black Hawk pilot.
The Blackhawk, stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, was conducting annual proficiency training exercises at the time of the clash, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegses. He pointed out that the pilot was very experienced during flight and was wearing night vision goggles.
FAA expands safety review amid wider concerns
While recovery teams continue their search, the Federal Aviation Administration has reduced air traffic at airports, but in part due to recovery efforts, as well as weather conditions, a FAA spokesman states on Thursday I mentioned it in.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the airport's hourly arrival rate has decreased from 28 to 26 flights, with an average delay rising from 40 to 50 minutes.
Several senators, including Cruz, sought reviews of airports across the country that handle a significant amount of helicopter traffic in close proximity to the commercial jet announced by the FAA on Thursday.
CNN's Emma Tucker, Andy Rose and Holly Yang contributed to this report.
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