Black boxes recovered, more than 40 bodies found after mid-air collision in DC

More than 40 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of an American Airlines regional plane and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided in mid-air near Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, on January 29. 

The recovery operation is ongoing as they continue to search for the remaining bodies and parts of the plane and helicopter.

Investigators said they have found the cockpit voice recorder and flight-data recorder from American Eagle Flight 5342.

These “black boxes” are crucial in helping experts understand what went wrong. 

The cause of the collision has not been confirmed, and a preliminary report is expected in approximately 30 days, with a full report at least a year away.

American Airlines says 60 passengers and four crew members were on Flight 5342, which was operated by its subsidiary, PSA Airlines. 

The Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft was flying from Wichita, Kansas, and was due to land at 8:57 pm EST.

All on board are believed to have died.

Flight trackers show that the plane and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission collided at 8:47 pm EST.

Authorities said the helicopter was discovered upside down in the water, while the passenger jet had broken into multiple pieces.

An air traffic safety report indicates staffing levels at Reagan National Airport’s control tower were “not normal” at the time, with two people doing the job of four. 

No single controller was allegedly assigned to monitor helicopter traffic, raising safety questions during the moments before the collision.

D.C. officials said the search effort is complicated by debris spread over a large area. 

Police, firefighters, and military personnel remain at the scene, working to recover any remaining victims and gather further evidence about why this tragedy occurred.