On the weekend of February 8th, the National Traffic Safety Commission ( ntsb
) All “major” portions of the wreckage from the January 29 air collision near Washington have been announced Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
It was collected. This is an important milestone in investigating crashes.
Photo: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a statement on February 8th.
“… Investigators are looking for aircraft sighting marks that can provide clues to the angle of the collision. The team retrieved CRJ's Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and retrieved additional avionics from Black Hawk. .
The day after FEBRARY 9, the NTSB provided an update on its progress to the Potomac River search for additional evidence of crash falls.
“…The majority of the additional debris identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Topobathy Lidar investigation were recovered by cranes (from the Potomac River), offloaded and brought to safe locations for documents. It's…
There have been speculations across social media as to where the “safe location” would be to house the aircraft's wreckage. Internet Roots shows one of the photos released by NTSB on social media site X (formerly Twitter) that looks like a signature FBO banner behind a wrecked tail, so Reagan National Airport Signature FBO hangar I'm guessing it's likely. American Eagle CRJ-700.
Logically, it only makes sense if the wreckage is housed near the crash site to facilitate transportation.
Photo: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
The most deadly US plane crash of 16 years
On January 29, PSA Airlines' CRJ-700 (operated as American Eagle) collided with the US Army Black Hawk helicopter during its final approach to the land on Runway 33 at Washington Reagan National Airport.
The fireballs caused by the collision between the two aircraft killed all 64 passengers on three pilots on the American Eagle Flight and the Black Hawk.
The collision marked a major deviation from almost 20 years of untouched commercial aviation safety in the US, with the last major commercial airline crash fall at the Colgan Air Flight 3407 in February 2009.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) plans to release a preliminary report on the cause of the airborne collision by March 1st (30 days after crash), after a preliminary investigation, but the final report will be 12-24 months later. It is expected. .
Possible causes of conflict
In the weeks leading up to the conflict, many important unanswered questions were raised. What caused such aircraft collisions in one of the most controlled airspace sectors in the world? Army helicopter pilots with over 500 hours of experience – this is so much for the military – can they collide with passenger aircraft from the country's capital, famous for its aviation safety culture?
While all evidence of the crash was collected, NTSB and the Media focused specifically on the altitude data of the Black Hawk helicopter. Preliminary data showed that the helicopter could be path and altitude and could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Another concern is that air traffic controllers during DCA shifts were clearly working two air traffic control jobs at once.
Time of uncertainty
Since President Donald Trump took office in mid-January 2025, the US government has experienced major changes. At the end of the month, President Trump's administration began offering incentives to government workers to help them quit their jobs.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The incentive was initially extended to government workers in the aviation sector, such as TSA agents and air traffic controllers, but it was repealed later after the collision. This government disruption has not come at a bad time for US commercial aviation, due to the current shortage of air traffic controllers across the country. .
In addition to this, multiple near misses at airports across the US have sparked the unfair fear of flying the public despite the overall trend of aviation becoming safer.
