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

Sixty-seven people were killed when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter clashed mid-air on Wednesday night. So far, 28 bodies have been recognized.

Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the collision. Some 300 personnel were sent to the scene, but the rescue quickly became a recovery mission as officials stated there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the most current updates

Federal detectives have recuperated the black boxes from the guest jet, while authorities were still looking for comparable gadgets in the helicopter.

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

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

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It indicates a single controller was managing both plane and employment helicopter traffic in the location when the 2 airplane clashed.

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

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

Flight 5342 was preparing to land employment on runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it hit the helicopter in one of the most securely managed airspaces worldwide.

'Em ergency vehicles sped past me'

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

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

" I was waiting and I began seeing a lot of EMS cars speeding past me ... method a lot of, [more] than normal and my texts weren't going through."

Trump makes unproven diversity drive claim

Donald Trump has actually linked a variety drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous 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, Mr Trump suggested the variety efforts had made air travel less safe.

At a White House press briefing on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of FAA hiring decisions made throughout the previous administration.

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

NBC News reported staffing in the air traffic control tower was "not regular", 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 stated, one controller was supervising both plane and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which controls air traffic control service along with certification of workers and airplane, is without an irreversible administrator. Its previous 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, employment Chris Rocheleau, in the wake of the crash.

Mr Whitaker had clashed with 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 employ more air traffic controllers due to a shortage of personnel.

Read more:. Washington DC plane crash: What we understand up until now. Air traffic control heard diverting airplanes minutes after collision

At his briefing, Mr Trump blamed former president Joe Biden for lowering requirements for air traffic controllers.

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

Mr Trump added: "The FAA is actively hiring employees who suffer extreme intellectual specials needs, psychiatric issues, and other psychological and physical conditions under a diversity and addition hiring initiative spelled out on the company's website."

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

" The investigation into the crash is still ongoing. It is very unsuitable for the president to use this catastrophe to press 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 "restored the highest standards of air traffic controllers".

At a later briefing, he was asked if gender or race played a role. He responded to: "It may have, employment I don't understand.