US Coast Guard/ReutersAir traffic controller personnel were “not normal” at the time of the air collision between the Washington, D.C. military helicopter that killed 67 people and the passenger plane, admitted Transport Secretary Sean Duffy.
US media reported that the tower at Reagan National Airport was understaffed at the time of crash Wednesday, according to a government report.
“I take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in their words and that's not normal,” Duffy said when asked about the report in the Fox News Sunday program.
So far, 55 casualties have been recovered from the Potomac River, with divers continuing to search for another 12.
The American Airlines flight had 64 passengers. An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided into the air as he carried three soldiers as his crew. There were no survivors.
At the time of the collision, one air traffic control worker was managing the helicopters and several planes at the airport, the work they normally do told CBS News, the BBC's US news partner.
“It was part of the review process we had to do.”
He explained, “an hour before it was supposed to happen during this crash, there was an air traffic controller consolidation.
Duffy questioned whether the controller “provides proper traffic that matches the procedure in the FAA” and whether it did helicopter elevation.
According to CBS, Todd Inman, a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said preliminary data revealed that the helicopter was flying around 200 feet (60m). The helicopter flight ceiling is 200 feet in the area near Reagan National Airport.
Duffy also questioned the timing of the flight.
“Why do they fly missions through really busy airspace at 9pm? He asked.
“We hope that our troops are trained and ready, but we hope that Air Force travelers are safe too, and that there are times and times that are not available on busy nights. There is a place to do it.
Investigators are considering many factors, including the height in determining the cause of the crash, but have yet to reach a public conclusion, NTSB officials said Thursday.
Military officials said at a press conference on Sunday that the helicopter crew were based in D.C., where they flew daily missions to support senior Army leaders and other government leaders.
Wednesday's flight is a training mission required annually for re-approval, led by two experienced pilots who have flew in the area many times before, officials said.
Duffy said the US has a chronic shortage of personnel issues with air traffic control.
US media reports that over 90% of domestic air traffic control facilities are below the FAA recommended staffing level.
“We didn't have enough air traffic controllers in America for a very long time,” Duffy said. We are in the system. ”
The new Transport Secretary said he was working with the FAA to train a new air traffic controller and said, “There are plans to come out to solve the problem, but the problem is that the switch is flipped here tomorrow and air traffic controllers. That's not available here.”
ReutersRecovery operations continue as authorities investigate the cause of the crash.
“We believe we can recover all the victims, but at this point we don't know where they are,” said John Donnelly, DC Fire Chief.
At the first lights Monday morning, the Army pauses when it recovers the wreckage and begins to lift the wreckage, Francis Pera said.
“Unifying those lost in this tragic incident truly keeps us moving,” he added.
During the operation on Sunday, the DC Police Diver was taken to hospital with hypothermia but recovered.
Dozens of families of the victims gathered at the scene of the crash Sunday morning.
They arrived on a chartered bus with police escorts, first moving to the crash scene, then on the runway where the flight was supposed to land.
The fire chief said he was not at the event but met with his family.
“They are a strong group of families that are focused on retrieving their loved ones,” he said.
