DC plane crash: What we know about the victims and ongoing investigation

All 67 radical connected committee an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk chopper that collided successful midair portion the level was landing astatine Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport adjacent Washington, DC, are believed to beryllium dead, according to officials.

This is the deadliest aviation calamity successful the United States since November 12, 2001, erstwhile an American Airlines level crashed into a residential country of Belle Harbor, New York, soon aft taking disconnected from John F Kennedy International Airport successful New York City, sidesplitting 260 passengers connected committee and 5 radical connected the ground.

Here is what we cognize astir the victims of Wednesday’s crash, what happened and what the archetypal investigations suggest mightiness person contributed to the accident.

How did the level clang unfold?

Flight 5342, operated by American Eagle, a determination subdivision of American Airlines, was flying from Wichita, Kansas, to the airdrome conscionable extracurricular Washington, DC. As it approached Ronald Reagan airdrome astir 9pm connected Wednesday (02:00 GMT connected Thursday), the craft collided with a Sikorsky Black Hawk service helicopter.

Shortly earlier landing, the plane’s pilots were asked to alteration runways. While the level was initially expected to onshore connected the main runway 1, the level was asked to pivot to runway 33, which is overmuch shorter. Flight tracking maps showed that the pilots accepted this petition and adjusted the plane.

Fewer than 30 seconds earlier the clang took place, an aerial postulation controller asked the service chopper if it could spot the plane.

“PAT25 [army helicopter], bash you person a CRJ [American Airlines plane] successful sight? PAT25, walk down the CRJ,” an aerial postulation controller said astatine 8:47pm.

A abbreviated clip later, aerial postulation controllers could beryllium heard saying, “Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three.”

The 2 craft crashed into the Potomac River. The origin of the collision is not known yet.

(Al Jazeera)

Were determination immoderate survivors?

The American Airlines formation was carrying 60 passengers and 4 unit members portion the Black Hawk had 3 US service soldiers connected board.

“We are present astatine a constituent wherever we’re switching from a rescue cognition to a betterment operation. At this point, we don’t judge determination are immoderate survivors from this accident,” Washington, DC, Fire Chief John Donnelly said successful a televised connection connected Thursday.

How galore bodies person been recovered?

Donnelly added that the bodies of 27 radical person been recovered from the level portion 1 assemblage has been recovered from the helicopter. Separately, a instrumentality enforcement root told CBS News that astatine slightest 40 bodies person been recovered.

What bash we cognize astir the probe truthful far?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is carrying retired an “all-hands-on-deck” probe into the crash, Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said during a quality league connected Thursday.

The NTSB is an autarkic national bureau that investigates civilian aviation accidents successful the US arsenic good arsenic superior incidents related to different modes of transportation.

On Friday, the NTSB announced it had found the achromatic boxes from the plane. Black boxes grounds formation data, pilots’ conversations and vigor communications during flights. These recorders supply important accusation successful investigating aviation incidents due to the fact that they tin uncover aviator actions oregon outer factors that mightiness person contributed to accidents.

“The recorders are astatine the NTSB labs for evaluation,” the bureau said successful a station connected X.

While the probe is astatine an aboriginal stage, aggregate US media outlets, including The New York Times and NBC News, person quoted unnamed sources arsenic saying determination was an aerial postulation controller shortage connected Wednesday nighttime astatine Reagan airport.

While usually determination is 1 aerial postulation controller for planes and different 1 for helicopters, the aforesaid idiosyncratic was handling some planes and helicopters connected Wednesday night.

For the investigation, the NTSB volition signifier moving groups to look into antithetic areas connected to the accident, according to NTSB committee subordinate Todd Inman.

[BELOW: I deliberation this graf would enactment amended arsenic bulleted items – easier to work and grasp]

Inman explained that these groups would include: operations, probe unit subordinate duties and formation histories; powerfulness systems, looking into craft engines; structures, documenting the mishap country and aerial framework wreckage; endurance factors, looking into injuries sustained; systems, looking into electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic components of the level and helicopter; and an aerial postulation power group.

The NTSB has not said however agelong the probe would take, but investigations into aviation incidents tin instrumentality 1 to 2 years. The bureau typically releases a preliminary study a fewer weeks aft the mishap that contains accusation collected astatine the scene.

Who were the victims of the level crash?

Little is known yet astir the 3 soldiers connected the helicopter.

On the American Airlines flight, 14 radical were affiliated with the fig skating assemblage and were returning location from a nationalist fig skating improvement campy for young skaters successful Wichita, Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said connected Thursday.

They included a Russian satellite champion skating mates arsenic good arsenic 2 teenage fig skaters and their mothers.

Here is much astir the victims:

Samuel Lilley

Lilley, 28, was 1 of the American Airlines pilots killed successful the incident, Lilley’s father, Timothy Lilley, confirmed successful a Facebook station and comments to the media.

Timothy Lilley wrote that his lad was “doing great” successful his vocation and idiosyncratic beingness and was to person been joined this year.

“Now it hurts truthful atrocious I can’t adjacent outcry myself to sleep. I cognize I’ll spot him again but my bosom is breaking,” helium wrote successful the post.

Jonathan Campos

Flight skipper Campos, 34, was besides killed, according to a chap pilot, CNN reported.

His alma mater, Florida-based Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, released a connection saying the institute was “deeply saddened to larn of the passing of Captain Jonathan Campos”.

The connection added that Campos graduated with an aeronautical subject grade successful 2015.

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova

A joined Russian mates – Naumov, 55, and Shishkova, 52 – were fig skating coaches. Naumov and Shishkova won the satellite title successful pairs fig skating successful 1994.

The mates moved to the US successful the 1990s and became skating coaches.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed connected Thursday that the mates was connected the flight. “We are atrocious and nonstop condolences to the families and friends who mislaid those of our chap citizens who died successful the level crash,” helium said.

They are survived by their son, Maxim Naumov, 23, who earned 4th spot astatine the US nationalist championships successful Wichita connected Sunday. Maxim Naumov, who was calved successful the US, was not connected the flight.

Jinna and Jin Han

The Skating Club of Boston besides said fig skater Jinna Han and her mother, Jin Han, were besides killed successful the crash.

“We watched Jinna conscionable turn up present from conscionable a tiny small tyke into this amazingly mature 13 twelvemonth old,” Zeghibe said.

Spencer and Christine Lane

The Skating Club said Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother, Christine Lane, 49, were besides killed.

The fig skater from Barrington, Rhode Island, would often station astir his skating travel connected his societal media accounts, including TikTok.

On Wednesday, hours earlier the crash, helium posted a photograph connected his Instagram communicative from wrong the level close earlier it took disconnected from Wichita.

Spencer Lane was adopted from South Korea successful 2008 by Christine and Doug Lane, his begetter told US media outlet NewsNation.

Doug Lane said his lad was a “force of nature” who started fig skating 3 years ago. “It’s conscionable devastating,” helium said.

Alexandr Kirsanov, Sean Kay and Angela Yang

A skating manager from Delaware, Kirsanov, 46, was besides killed, his wife, Natalya Gudin, told ABC News.

Gudin said Kirsanov was accompanying 2 young crystal skaters connected the trip. She said she past spoke with her hubby arsenic helium boarded his flight.

Kirsanov was the manager of young skating duo, Kay and Yang, who were besides connected the flight. Their ages are unclear astatine the moment.

Olivia Ter

Ter, 12, was a fig skater from Maryland and was besides connected the plane, according to a connection by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Ian Epstein

Epstein, 53, was an American Airlines formation attendant who was besides killed successful the crash, Epstein’s sister Robbie Bloom confirmed to CNN.

The formation attendant is survived by 2 children and 2 stepchildren.

Asra Hussain Raza

Hussain Raza, 26, was besides killed successful the accident, her father-in-law told CNN.

Hussain Raza was a girl of Indian immigrants and was a advisor based successful Washington, DC. She would question to Wichita doubly a period to enactment connected a task for a infirmary there.

Other victims identified

Other victims who person been identified by section media truthful acold see Wendy Jo Shaffer, Brielle Beyer, Justyna Beyer, Grace Maxwell and Casey Crafton.