Officials believe that despite tricky conditions in the Potomac River, they will be able to recover all 67 bodies of the victims of mid-air trash between a military helicopter and a passenger jet that happened Wednesday outside of Reagan National Airport.
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D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said Friday that, so far, more than two dozen bodies were pulled from the jet, and one body was recovered from the helicopter.
The National Transportation Safety Board has retrieved the flight data and voice recorders from American Airlines Flight 5342 with hopes of producing a preliminary report within 30 days.
The crash happened when the jet attempted to land at Reagan National Airport and collided with the Army Black Hawk helicopter, causing both the plane and helicopter to plunge into the river.
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The recovery efforts for the crash, which involved 64 people on the plane and three soldiers on a helicopter, were suspended Thursday night but resumed Friday. Authorities believe there are no survivors from the incident.
The NTSB's analysis of the flight data and voice recorders will be crucial in determining the cause of the crash, as the investigation continues.
Skating community devastated by tragedy
Numerous members of the figure skating community were on board Flight 5342. The Skating Club of Boston confirmed that six of its members, including two former Olympians, were on board the flight.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.
Wichita just hosted the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championship. The event served as the final qualifier for the U.S. World and World Junior Championship teams.
US Army identifies 2 of the soldiers killed
On Friday, the U.S. Army released information on the crew.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, is believed to be deceased pending positive identification.
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O’Hara began service as a UH-60 helicopter repairer in the Army in July of 2014.
The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, have not yet been recovered. Eaves is therefore listed as on duty status — whereabouts unknown.
Eaves served in the U.S. Navy from August 2007 to September 2017. He became a UH-60 pilot for the regular Army in September 2017.
The identity of the third crewmember has been withheld at the request of their family. They are therefore also considered duty status — whereabouts unknown.
Trump suggests DEI to blame for crash
While there are still many questions on whether air traffic controllers had any fault in Wednesday's collision, President Donald Trump used the plane crash to complain about diversity hiring initiatives within the Federal Aviation Administration.
President Trump said that race and gender might have played a role in Wednesday's crash.
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"It may have. I don't know. Incompetence might have played a role. Well, we'll let you know that, but we want the most competent people. We don't care what race they are. We want the most competent people, especially in those positions," President Trump.
The FAA has long struggled with understaffing. On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that air traffic control staffing at Reagan National Airport was "not normal" at the time of the disaster.
