64 bodies retrieved from river; Black box found

Nepal Views

Kathmandu: The bodies of 64 people, in a collision crash between a DC aircraft and helicopter in Washington DC, USA, have been retrieved from the river.

64 bodies of the deceased in the crash have been retrieved from the Potomac River. The American Airlines collided with a Black Hawk Helicopter and fell into a Potomac River on Wednesday night.

According to the BBC, the commercial aircraft’s black boxes were located there. Questions have been raised regarding the staffing and other close calls at the airport where the plane was about to land.

Normally two people manage air traffic control for helicopters and airplanes flying in the area – one of the most controlled airspaces in the world – but only one person was doing so on Wednesday at the time of the crash,

The BBC’s US partner cited CBS News as saying the lack of air traffic control staff was one of the reasons behind the crash. In a normal scenario, two people manage air traffic movement in the area, but only one staff member was in service during the incident.

CBS said the boxes would be transported to the NTSB lab, near the site of the crash, and analyzed.

All 67 people were aboard in the two aircraft. Officials are investigating the incident. A preliminary report will issued in 30 days as per the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Earlier, a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report also pointed out the “not normal” air traffic control staffing numbers.