Crews are back at the Potomac River to retrieve the submerged wreckage of an airliner and an army helicopter that collided in mid-air last week in the deadliest US air disaster since More than responders are taking part in the recovery effort at any given time, officials said.
Two navy barges were also deployed to lift heavy wreckage. Divers and salvage workers are adhering to strict protocols and will stop moving debris if a body is found, said Colonel Francis B Pera of the Army Corps of Engineers. There were no survivors. The crash occurred when the jet, en route from Wichita, Kansas, was about to land.
The Black Hawk was on a training mission. On Sunday, family members were taken in buses with a police escort to the river bank near where the two aircraft came to rest after colliding.
Federal investigators are working to piece together the events that led to the collision. Full investigations typically take a year or more, but investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days. Experts stress that plane travel is overwhelmingly safe, but the crowded air space around Reagan Airport can challenge even experienced pilots. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues.
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