Authorities announced Tuesday that the remains of all 67 people killed in a plane crash in Washington, D.C. last week had been recovered, and that all but one of the victims had been positively identified.
“This marks a significant step in bringing closure to the families and the community,” said the operation’s Unified Command in a statement.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Washington, D.C., is working to identify the final crash victim.
The victims were killed Wednesday night when a US Army Black Hawk helicopter piloted by three soldiers collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 as it descended into Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, around 9 p.m. The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, and had 64 passengers on board.
Nobody survived the collision. The accident is the most deadly American aviation disaster in 16 years.
On Monday, investigators recovered the airplane’s aft fuselage, right engine, and right pylon. Authorities previously stated that they would need to recover additional aircraft parts to locate all remains.
Officials will now work to clear the remaining wreckage from the Potomac River, where the American Airlines jet and helicopter crashed. Salvage operations are ongoing, with the goal of recovering any additional remains in a dignified manner, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, investigators found the right wing, center fuselage, part of the left wing and fuselage, significant portions of the forward cabin and cockpit, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, tail cone, rudder, elevators, TCAS computer, and quick access recorder.
Anyone who finds plane parts or belongings washed up on the Potomac or Anacostia River shorelines should call 911. People are asked not to touch the items because they could be critical in assisting affected families as well as the investigation.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, and US Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving will remove major components of the regional jet from the water by Wednesday. Once that is completed, the focus will shift to recovering more wreckage from the Black Hawk helicopter.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the primary investigating agency, is attempting to determine the cause of the accident. A preliminary report is due 30 days after the incident occurred.
Little is known about what caused the incident, but investigators said this weekend that they believe the helicopter was flying at 300 feet, which is 100 feet higher than its allowed altitude.
The collision occurred within 300 to 350 feet. The NTSB stated that it needed more information from the helicopter to verify data points. Officials expect to recover the Sikorsky UH-60 Military Helicopter from the water this week.
Following the crash, the US Department of Transportation imposed significant restrictions on helicopters flying along Route 4, which is typically flown by Black Hawks while commercial jets fly overhead.
Several passengers on the flight belonged to figure skating communities near Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts. Many of the victims were children and their parents returning to the area after attending the National Development Camp in Wichita, which brings together approximately 150 young skaters each year.
Other victims belonged to the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters of Maryland.
Authorities said there was a delay in identifying the victims because some of their relatives live overseas. Families were asked to visit the airport to identify their loved ones’ remains.
