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

Sixty-seven individuals were eliminated when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter clashed mid-air on Wednesday night. So far, 28 bodies have actually been identified.

Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the accident. Some 300 personnel were sent out to the scene, however the rescue quickly developed into a recovery objective as officials stated there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the most recent updates

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

Meanwhile, in the middle of questions over how well the airport's control tower was staffed on the night of the crash, it's been validated that an air traffic control service supervisor had actually let a controller leave their shift early.

The information, initially reported by the New York Times, has been verified to Sky News' US partner NBC News by a source acquainted with the examination.

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It suggests a single controller was managing both airplane and helicopter traffic in the location when the two airplane clashed.

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

The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 travelers and 4 crew when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, bring 3 soldiers, quickly before 9pm local time on Wednesday.

Flight 5342 was preparing to arrive at runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it clashed with the helicopter in among the most tightly managed airspaces worldwide.

'Em ergency automobiles sped past me'

A male whose wife was on the flight has actually remembered how he saw emergency services "speeding past" as he was waiting at the airport to choose her up.

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

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

Trump makes unverified diversity drive claim

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

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

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

At a White House press rundown on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump had signed a memorandum directing an instant assessment of FAA employing choices made throughout the previous administration.

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

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

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

The FAA, which controls air traffic control as well as certification of personnel and aircraft, lacks a long-term administrator. Its previous boss 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 appointed an acting administrator, Chris Rocheleau, in the wake of the crash.

Mr Whitaker had actually encountered Mr Trump's confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX rocket launches throughout his period at the FAA.

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

Find out more:. Washington DC plane crash: What we know up until now. Air traffic control heard diverting planes moments after collision

At his rundown, Mr Trump blamed previous president Joe Biden for decreasing requirements for air traffic controllers.

" We have to have our most intelligent people," he said. "They have to be naturally skilled geniuses."

Mr Trump added: "The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer serious intellectual impairments, psychiatric issues, and other psychological and physical conditions under a variety and addition hiring effort spelled out on the firm's site."

The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, saying in a statement on X: "FAA workers with disabilities did not trigger [the] terrible airplane crash.

" The investigation into the crash is still ongoing. It is very unsuitable for the president to utilize this catastrophe to push an anti-diversity hiring program. 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 "restored the highest requirements of air traffic controllers".

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