CNN, Washington, D.C.On Friday, investigators will continue their efforts to recover the two planes that were involved in a crash in Washington that claimed 67 lives and sparked concerns about air safety in the nation's capital.

According to Washington's fire department, divers are looking to "salvage the aircraft" and find more parts on Friday after recovering the so-called black boxes from the American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) aircraft that crashed into the Potomac River after colliding with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday.

"Overnight, boats will remain on scene for security and surface searches from local, state, and federal regional partners," read the statement.

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the CRJ700 aircraft, which carried four crew members and 60 passengers who all died in the crash, are being examined by the National Transportation Safety Board. The three helicopter crew members perished as well.

The crash occurred while the regional plane was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and authorities have not yet determined what caused it.

According to the military, the helicopter may have been flying higher, but the maximum altitude for the route it was going was 200 feet (61 meters). The FlightRadar24 aircraft tracking system reports that the incident happened at a height of approximately 300 feet.

The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Maria Cantwell, raised concerns about the safety of military and commercial aircraft flying as close together as 350 feet (107 meters) in both vertical and horizontal directions. Additionally, she pleaded with the government to reevaluate permitting so many helicopter flights close to a busy airport.

Air traffic controllers warned the helicopter of the oncoming plane and instructed it to alter its trajectory, according to radio transmissions.


According to a person briefed on the situation, the airport's Wednesday night local plane and helicopter traffic was handled by one controller instead of two, which was described as "not normal" but deemed sufficient for reduced traffic volumes.

The pilot of American Eagle (NYSE:AEO) Flight 5342 had roughly six years of flying experience, according to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary, operated the Bombardier (OTC:BDRBF) aircraft.

The yearly training flight was piloted by a "fairly experienced crew" of three soldiers using night-vision goggles, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Authorities said they would reassess training exercises in the area and were grounding additional flights from the Army unit involved in the tragedy.

Without providing any proof, President Donald Trump implied that diversity initiatives supported by Democrats might have been involved. Since taking office on January 20, Trump, a Republican, has attempted to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Democrats took issue with his remarks.

Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action (WA:ACT) Network civil rights organization, questioned how he could make such bold claims while an inquiry was only getting started. "Whether these were Ivy League or DEI hires makes no difference. What matters are the bereaved families who do not want a president determined to rescind DEI measures to politicize this time."

Russians, Chinese, Germans, and Filipinos were among the crash victims, along with young figure skaters and residents of Kansas, the state from which the passenger plane originated.


By Thursday, more over half of the victims' bodies had been found, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin told Reuters. The airport is located in Virginia, directly across the river from Washington.