All 3 black boxes recovered from deadly midair collision near Washington, DC

Officials are providing updates on the ongoing recovery effort following Wednesday’s collision between an American Airlines regional jet and US Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The news conference is being held at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where the jet had been preparing for landing before colliding with the helicopter and crashing into the Potomac River. It is expected to feature Washington, DC, fire and police officials, alongside other agencies involved in the emergency response.

Authorities have set up a mobile morgue near the crash site, where medical personnel are processing the victims’ remains as divers recover them from the river. The effort is being hampered by near-zero visibility in the water and other difficult conditions.

The Black Hawk helicopter flying higher than its restricted altitude may have been the “final hole that was filled” in Wednesday night’s fatal plane collision, former air traffic controller Vincent Sugent said.

“It appears that if the letter of agreements or whatever agreements they have with those helicopters and the military that they have to stay at a certain altitude and the controllers are assuming he’s going to do as they agreed to do,” Sugent told CNN’s Boris Sanchez and Brianna Keilar Friday afternoon. “And unfortunately, if that’s what happened, then that’s the final hole that was filled.”

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social Friday morning to post that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high, by a lot” before the midair collision near Reagan National Airport that resulted in the deaths of 67 people.

The post comes as the New York Times is reporting that the military helicopter may have been flying outside of its approved flight path, which called for it to have an altitude of no more than 200 feet. It may have been flying at a higher altitude than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off the approved route.

“It appeared to me that everything he’d done, the controller did, was proper,” Sugent said, citing audio tapes of the crash. “He didn’t sound rushed; he didn’t sound panicked. Also, on top of that, there was no urgency from the pilot, so he assumed that the pilot was talking about the same airplane he was talking about and none of that seemed to bring really any sort of alarm to anybody.”

“It didn’t seem to me from the controller point of view or the pilot point of view at that point that the holes were lining up until the last minute until they either climbed or misidentified the wrong aircraft,” Sugent continued.

Flight attendant Danasia Elder.

Flight attendant Danasia Elder was one of the 67 people killed in Wednesday’s midair collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342, the Association of Flight Attendants announced in a Facebook post.

She was based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and had been flying since 2024, the union said. The association highlighted its “commitment is to do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again.”

“She was very bright, very smart. She was an entrepreneur. This flight attendant thing was kind of like one of her dreams she wanted to do,” her brother-in-law, Brandon Payne, told CNN affiliate WSOC.
Elder leaves behind her husband and two children, WSOC reported.
Payne described Elder as “a great wife, a great parent, a great friend.” She was a person who was “full of life” and loved God, her kids and travel, he said.

Flight tracking data from the moments before the fatal midair collision on Wednesday night appears to show the Black Hawk helicopter was flying 100 feet above the maximum allowed altitude and was veering off the prescribed route along the east side of the Potomac River.

Just two minutes before the midair collision, flight tracking data shows the military helicopter at 200 feet as it crossed over East Potomac Park, which is the maximum allowed altitude along the helicopter route known as Route 1.

As the Black Hawk flew over the Potomac River, flight tracking data indicates it climbed from 200 feet to 300 feet, placing it closer to the airport and higher than it should have been. The helicopter remained at that altitude until seconds before the crash, when flight tracking data shows a rapid descent back down to 200 feet.

At the same time, the Black Hawk also appears to turn toward the center of the river, according to flight tracking data, which would have been a deviation from the standard route hugging the east bank of the Potomac River.

The helicopter’s turns would have put the military helicopter closer to Washington’s Reagan National Airport than the standard route as the American Airlines regional jet was nearing the airport.

“Based on the data we’re able to see, I think that’s a fair assessment,” said Ian Petchenik, spokesperson for FlightRadar24, a flight tracking company.

Petchenik cautioned that the flight tracking data for the Black Hawk is imperfect. The military helicopter was sending a Mode S signal, which transmits basic data about altitude and aircraft identification.

The American Airlines flight was broadcasting an ADS-B signal, which provides far more information to air traffic control.

“ADS-B is worlds beyond the standard Mode S data. Mode S data allows you to have just a few bits of information,” Petchenik told CNN.

A full understanding of the moments before the midair collision will require a complete analysis of the black boxes on board the aircraft, but even an incomplete picture indicates the helicopter was not in the right position.

A morning post from President Donald Trump claiming the military helicopter involved in the collision was flying too high was based “on truth,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN Friday but didn’t offer more details about his remarks.

“The president based that statement on truth, because it is truth and it’s fact, and it was relayed to him by the authorities who are overseeing the investigation into this horrific plane collision,” Leavitt told CNN’s Jeff Zeleny during a White House press briefing.

“[T]he president… continues to be briefed on the collision by everybody across his cabinet: the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Defense, the NTSB, who the commissioner there was in the Oval Office with him yesterday.”

Earlier on Friday, Trump said on Truth Social the Black Hawk helicopter “was flying too high, by a lot” before the midair collision.

Some context: Trump’s post came as the New York Times reported the helicopter may have been flying outside its approved flight path at a higher altitude than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off the approved route.

Earlier Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “we don’t quite know” yet which vehicle was at the wrong altitude in an interview with Fox News.

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a briefing for the media at 4 p.m. ET on the investigation into the fatal plane collision over Washington, DC.

The press briefing will be held at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

CNN previously reported the NTSB recovered and began processing the recorders – known as the black boxes – from the CRJ-700 airplane involved in the crash.

American Airlines will no longer use flight number AA5342, following Wednesday’s deadly plane collision that killed 67 people, the airline told CNN.

On Friday night, American Airlines will resume service from Wichita to Washington, DC, after it was canceled following Wednesday’s collision.

The first flight will operate as AA5677, the airline said.

Steve Johnson, an avid fisherman and union worker, was among the victims killed in the midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport.

Johnson lived in Waldorf, Maryland, and was a member of the United Association of Union Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters Local 602 – a union representing workers in the heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, and process piping industries in Prince George’s County. Johnson and other three union members were killed in the crash, CNN affiliate WJLA reported.

“We’re heartbroken to share that four UA Brothers were among the victims of the tragic crash of American Airlines Flight 5342,” the union’s national leadership said in a statement on X Thursday. “May they rest in peace.”

The deaths will “be a shock to the community, they were all very close from what I know,” Megan Davey, a friend who grew up with Johnson and some of the other victims, told WJLA.

“I know at least one of them is a huge staple of the community with his fishing and hunting,” Davey said. “It’s a real loss and it’s gonna be tough, especially with their younger families. It’s something that you just don’t expect to hear coming out of a town in southern Maryland.”

Ice skater Franco Aparicio

Ice skater Franco Aparicio and his father, Luciano Aparicio, were passengers on the plane that collided with a helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Washington, a source close to the family told CNN on Friday.

Franco Aparicio was a member of the Washington Figure Skating Club and a volunteer on the Junior Board of the organization.

“We are devastated,” the organization posted on its Instagram account, adding that several of the deceased victims were beloved members of their community.

Franco’s sister, Isabella Aparicio, posted a message on social media in memory of her brother and father. “The best brother. You left too soon, sweet boy,” she wrote.

In another post, the young woman wrote about her father, Luciano: “Thank you, Dad, for your endless support and for always believing in me, always putting others before yourself, I love you and I miss you always.”

Here is a roundup of key information known by midday Friday about Wednesday’s fatal midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter:

Meanwhile, more is being learned about the 64 people on the plane. Those confirmed dead include friends on an annual hunting trip, legal professionals, and at least six members of the figure skating community. Three crew members were on the helicopter.

Fourteen victims remained to be recovered as the search was suspended for the evening Thursday, according to a source familiar with the efforts.

Read more about some of the victims identified so far here.

President Donald Trump speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on Thursday.

President Donald Trump is “exploiting disaster” in the aftermath of the fatal collision over Washington, DC, according to Rep. Jesús García.

García, a Democrat who represents Illinois, said that Trump is “exploiting disaster to continue to spread racist lies and divisiveness across the country, simply to score political points with his base,” in a Friday morning interview with CNN.

The congressman added that air travel fatalities have fallen dramatically in recent years.

“We don’t know what occurred and whether it was human error that caused this flight or other factors,” he said. “That is what we will learn. And once we have the facts and recommendations, our subcommittee on aviation will be prepared to act.”

Response teams have set up a mobile morgue near the crash site, where medical personnel are processing the victims’ remains as divers recover them from the Potomac River.

The large red tents, ambulances and medical teams are set up at the Metropolitan Police Department’s Air Support Unit located at the base of the Frederick Douglas Bridge.

Once the remains are processed, they are taken to a morgue, so the victims’ families can eventually receive the remains of their loved ones.

As of Friday morning, no remains had been brought to the mobile morgue in more than 12 hours, according to a law enforcement source. Officials had determined they recovered all victims’ remains they can access without moving some of the wreckage with heavy machinery, which will soon be brought to the crash site.

Some background: All 67 people on board the American Airlines regional jet and US Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided midair Wednesday night are presumed dead – a grim tragedy that has left a heartbreaking trail of mourning families in its wake. It will be remembered as the deadliest aviation disaster in the US since 2001.

The air traffic control profession is a “meritocracy,” according to Michael McCormick, a former FAA air traffic manager and associate professor in air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

“Only the best can go through the rigorous selection program, the screening program and then one-to-five-year training program prior to receiving their certification,” McCormick told CNN Friday morning.

McCormick’s comments come after President Donald Trump blamed DEI policies for the collision.

McCormick, who shut down New York City air traffic on 9/11, also said it was common practice for one air traffic controller to work two different tower positions.

“In this instance, it was actually a good thing, because now you have one controller who’s actually talking to and controlling both of the aircraft,” he said.

“Otherwise, if it was a separate controller, then the two controllers would have to constantly coordinate back and forth about what is happening and what they’re choosing to do.”

Some context: At the time of the collision, one air traffic controller was working two different tower positions and handling both local and helicopter traffic, an air traffic control source told CNN. The New York Times reported that an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report says staffing was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”

Lindsey Fields was killed in Wednesday’s crash of American Airlines Flight 5342.

Kansas biology teacher Lindsey Fields was aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 and was killed in Wednesday’s midair collision above Washington, DC.

Fields was the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). The organization reported her death in a statement and said she was traveling to Washington to “represent the NABT community and advocate for excellence in life science education.”

“This is a tremendous loss. Please keep Lindsey, the other victims, and their families in your hearts. We also ask that you respect the privacy of her loved ones at this time,” the statement said.
Fields was the Biology Department Chair at Butler Community College in Kansas, where she taught biology, anatomy and physiology, according to her faculty biography.

“Outside of the classroom I enjoy cooking, reading, hiking (any type of activity outdoors really) and spending time with my family and Great Danes. I love to travel to the mountains and spend time fishing,” she wrote in her biography.

Correction: An earlier version of this post gave the wrong flight number. The number is 5342.

The low-altitude helicopter corridor that was in use at the time of this week’s fatal mid-air collision has indefinitely been shut down by the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency official told CNN.

The move is the most significant action taken by the FAA since an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided midair on Wednesday night before plunging into the frigid Potomac River in clear weather. A total of 67 people were killed.

“Today’s decision will immediately help secure the airspace near Reagan Airport, ensuring the safety of airplane and helicopter traffic,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said later Friday.

The US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was using what’s known as helicopter Route 4, a specialized corridor utilized by law enforcement, medevac, military, and government helicopters to fly east of Reagan National Airport. FAA charts show helicopters in the corridor must be at or below 200 feet above sea level.

The route that has been closed is north of the Wilson Bridge, which connects D.C. and Virginia, the FAA said.

The administration has also closed Route 1, a helicopter route that runs south of the Key Bridge connecting DC’s Georgetown neighborhood to Rosslyn, Virginia, has also been closed, the official said.

President Donald Trump is using his latest attacks on DEI initiatives within federal agencies to distract from chaos at the Federal Aviation Administration, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut says.

On Thursday, Trump blamed Democrats and DEI initiatives for the deadly midair collision involving a passenger plane and a military helicopter, despite the investigation being in its early stages.

“I have common sense, OK?” Trump said when pressed what evidence he had to give credence to the blame he piled on the Biden and Obama administrations. “Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.”

Trump has also insinuated that the country’s safety is “at risk” when “women” and “Black people” are at the helm of federal agencies like the FAA, Murphy told CNN Friday.

“It’s kind of incredible that a president of the United States can say that,” Murphy said. “What he is saying is that the only people who are competent to run anything in this country are White men.”

The FAA, which is part of the DOT, is operating without a permanent administrator since Mike Whitaker stepped down earlier this month. A number of other leadership positions are also vacant, the FAA’s website shows. In remarks late Thursday morning, Trump announced that Chris Rocheleau, a former chief operating officer of the National Business Aviation Association, will lead the FAA in an acting capacity.

The president also let go the entirety of the FAA’s safety advisory board, which oversees safety recommendations for the administration, according to Murphy.

“Instead of actually explaining why he left the FAA leaderless and without any direction,” Murphy added, “he’s blaming Black people and blaming women who work at the FAA without any evidence.”

Left to right: Donna, Alydia, Everly and Peter Livingston.

It was rare to walk into the Ashburn Ice House in northern Virginia and not see a member of the Livingston family.

Everly Livingston, 14, and her 11-year-old sister, Alydia, were promising young figure skaters, dad Peter Livingston played hockey, and mom Donna was active in the girls’ lives, family friend Kim Urban told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

The family died in Wednesday night’s crash of American Airline’s Flight 5342 on their way home from Wichita, Kansas, where they participated in events surrounding the US Figure Skating Championships.

Urban said her children had skated with Everly and Alydia for years and were devastated by the news.

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social this morning to post that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high, by a lot” before the midair collision near Reagan National Airport that resulted in the deaths of 67 people.

That post comes as the New York Times is reporting that the helicopter in Wednesday’s collision may have been flying outside its approved flight path, at a higher altitude than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off the approved route.

It’s unclear whether the president’s post was based on an official briefing or were just speculation. Trump’s post also came as his newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on Fox News this morning suggesting that “we don’t quite know” yet who was at the wrong altitude.

“We are looking at altitude. And the president was clear about that. Someone was at the wrong altitude. The investigation will help us understand that. Was the Black Hawk too high? Was it on course? Right now, we don’t quite know,” Hegseth said Friday.

An investigation into the collision is underway as recovery efforts have continued into Friday.

People work inside air traffic control at Reagan National Airport on Thursday.

There is a ground stop issued at Washington Reagan National Airport until 8:45 a.m. due to airport volume, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The airport is operating short of one of its typical runways due to the crash from Wednesday.

As investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board piece together what lead to a deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport, NTSB member Todd Inman said crews are working to access data from the helicopter.

Two black boxes have been recovered from the plane, and are being analyzed at the NTSB’s lab, according to Inman. As for the helicopter, Inman said the military aircraft is fitted with a recorder of some kind, but it’s not clear if it contains voice recordings, data or both.

Meanwhile, it’s too early to speculate on what exactly occurred, Inman said.

“We hope to have the preliminary report out in 30 days. The overall investigation will probably take a year, but that’s because it has to be accurate,” Inman said. “We’re not going to put something out quick just so we can end some speculation.”

The headline and post have been updated.

A diving team and police boat are seen around the wreckage site in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, on Thursday.

More details are emerging on the investigation into Wednesday’s deadly collision between a military helicopter and commercial passenger jet approaching Reagan National Airport, with concerns raised about both the path of the aircraft and staffing levels.

Here is what we know this morning:

Military helicopter may have been flying too high: The Black Hawk helicopter may have been flying outside of its approved flight path, which called for it to have an altitude of no more than 200 feet, according to the New York Times. The newspaper said four people briefed on the matter also said the Black Hawk may have been a half-mile off of its designated route. There is a margin of only 350 feet between the designated paths of the helicopter and the commercial jet, meaning any significant deviation could be disastrous, CNN aviation analyst and pilot Miles O’Brien said.

Former Black Hawk pilot says helicopter needed more crew: Questions also are being raised about whether the helicopter was adequately staffed in the crowded airspace around Reagan National. Elizabeth McCormack, a former Black Hawk pilot, told CNN’s Jake Tapper Thursday that having a crew of three on the ill-fated flight was inadequate. “You only have visibility from the front 180 degrees. Your crew chiefs clear the back,” McCormack said. “If you only have one crew chief, how much can you clear? I think that was a major issue.”

Air traffic controller was doing 2 jobs: Coordinating both local plane and helicopter traffic, typically performed by two separate air traffic controllers at DCA, was being handled by one person at the time of the crash, an air traffic control source told CNN. Controllers are trained on multiple positions, and it is not uncommon for them to perform two jobs at once during slower periods, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said.

Past near-misses: On two occasions in the past three years, passenger planes had to take evasive action to avoid helicopters while on approach to Reagan National, a CNN review of incident reports found. In both cases, the pilots were warned to the presence of the other aircraft by the plane’s Traffic Collision Avoidance System. In a third incident involving two helicopters, an air traffic controller’s report said “there isn’t enough staffing to fill all positions in the tower (cabin).”

Aviation experts are raising concerns the helicopter pilot may have misjudged the position of the doomed American Airlines plane, mistaking a brighter, moving light in the night sky for the aircraft he’d been instructed to track, as seen in video obtained by CNN.

“We do see other lights in the area, particularly one bright light from another aircraft, when the air traffic control tower asked the helicopter, ‘Do you have the plane in sight?’” Mary Schiavo, an aviation analyst and former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on Friday.

“The first time I looked at that video, I focused on the moving light, not the stationary light, which actually wasn’t stationary. It’s just a matter of vantage point. There’s a concern that the helicopter pilot may have focused on the brighter, moving light and mistaken it for the plane he was supposed to track,” she added.

Flying at night presents challenges for pilots, Schiavo noted: “When you fly at night, the movement of lights is where you focus first, and you have to learn that may be a distraction.”

“The helicopter was on the usual flight path for helicopters in Washington, DC, but it may have been too high — possibly not at its assigned altitude or the typical altitude for such operations, which is below the landing path for the airport,” she said.

Wreckage is seen in the Potomac River on Thursday.

Officials are investigating the cause of a collision Wednesday night between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Authorities have said there were no survivors.

The American Airlines regional jet was carrying 64 people. Three soldiers were on board the military helicopter.

The National Transportation Safety Board will look at a wide range of potential causes of the collision. Exclusive videos obtained by CNN Friday show new angles of the aircraft collision.

Catch up on some of the latest details:

The Coast Guard investigates aircraft wreckage on the Potomac River on Thursday.

The Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s deadly collision may have been flying outside its approved flight path, at a higher altitude than permitted, and at least half a mile off its designated route, The New York Times reported, citing four people briefed on the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

This deviation, if confirmed, raises serious concerns about compliance with flight regulations in the moments leading up to the crash. The possibility was mentioned Thursday by Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois after she was briefed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“This particular Black Hawk was under visual flight rules, they had to be providing separation with the landing aircraft, they were responsible for it,” Duckworth told CNN’s Jake Tapper. She stressed the need to determine whether the helicopter was on its correct route.

Duckworth, a US Army veteran who was a Black Hawk pilot during the Iraq War, said she needs to know now “– from the FAA and from the NTSB investigators – who departed from their route, because that Black Hawk needed to be hugging that eastern riverbank off the Potomac, and the regional jet, of course, was on short final for, I believe, runway three.”

“So, at some point, they converged on each other and lost that lateral separation. And we need to see who drifted into whose flight path,” Duckworth said.

Editor’s Note: These videos contain sensitive material that may be hard to watch.

Exclusive videos obtained by CNN show previously unseen angles of the collision between an American Airlines flight and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday night.

The videos, both shot on cell phones, show video replays of surveillance cameras capturing the crash between the passenger flight and the military helicopter.

In the first video, the helicopter can be seen flying at speed over the Potomac from the left side of the screen. The Black Hawk has red flashing lights on its tail and body and a green light toward its nose. The American Airlines plane can be seen flying toward the airport. The Black Hawk then collides with the airliner, causing an explosion. The airliner is then seen spinning toward the river before impacting the water. The Black Hawk is also seen falling toward the water, with its flashing lights still visible.

The second surveillance video appears to be shot from the airport grounds. It shows the plane descending into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport runway 33 from the left and the helicopter flying above the river on the right. They continue to fly toward one another at a low altitude, eventually colliding in a large explosion. After the explosion, both aircraft can be seen falling into the river.

Click below to watch the footage

Exclusive: CNN obtains videos showing new angles of DC plane crash

00:41 - Source: CNN

Pilots involved in Wednesday night’s collision near Reagan National Airport likely had no warning of the impending disaster, an aviation expert said, citing the limitations of collision avoidance systems at low altitudes and the challenges of night vision.

When flying at night, “about 90% of your vision goes away. Your vision at night is vastly reduced,” Alan Armstrong, an aviation attorney, told CNN’s Abby Phillip Thursday night. “Based on what we’ve seen so far, I’d suggest that these pilots had no awareness of an impending disaster. I don’t think they saw each other coming. If they had, they would have taken evasive action.”

The Traffic Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS, a critical safety tool for pilots, is primarily designed to function effectively at altitudes above 1,000 to 1,500 feet but becomes less effective closer to the ground, Armstrong explained.

At the lower altitude where the collision occurred, key functions of the collision avoidance system are disabled to prevent issuing commands that could push pilots into unsafe maneuvers near the ground, he said.

The Washington Monument is seen as US Coast Guard vessels work the scene of the wreckage on Thursday.

An Army pilot who has flown Black Hawk helicopters around Reagan National Airport in the Washington, DC, area told CNN the Army’s flights are routinely planned down to the smallest detail — which is even more important when navigating the area’s complex airspace.

“People are like, ‘This looks intentional,’ and I cannot stress enough that this is already a very congested area for both those aircraft,” an Army pilot who previously flew with the unit connected to the crash told CNN. “It’s already very difficult modes of flight for both aircraft …The idea this could in any way be intentional, that’s not even on the table.”

By Army regulation, the pilots would have had to brief their entire flight plan within their unit before taking to the air, the pilot said. The crew would assess the plan on a series of risks — the weather, how much light are they expecting, what maneuvers do the pilots intend to do, where they will land, and more.

Based on the risk, a senior briefer — typically a senior pilot — will assess the plan and approve or disapprove parts of their flight plan; that assessment will then be run by the unit’s commander, then submitted to the FAA.

“It’s an incredibly complex series of risk mitigation that happens leading up to them going out and flying in this situation,” the pilot said. But with that level of detail being planned out before the flight, the pilot said it would be “very simple things” that would have to go wrong to result in the tragedy that occurred Wednesday night.

The pilot also rejected the theory that the Black Hawk didn’t have its transponder on, which has been surfacing on social media as a potential cause for the crash. There are multiple layers of things that would have to go seriously wrong for an aircraft without its transponder on to ever be inside that airspace, the pilot said, especially given post-9/11 safeguards.

Kiah Duggins was a civil rights attorney and Harvard Law School graduate.

Kiah Duggins, a civil rights attorney and Harvard Law School graduate, was among those lost in the midair aircraft collision at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, her family confirmed in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate KWCH.

“We are coming to terms with the grief associated with the loss of our beautiful and accomplished firstborn. Please respect our family’s privacy at this time,” the statement read.

Duggins, who had been visiting family in Wichita, Kansas, was returning to her home in the Washington, DC, area at the time of the accident.

A graduate of Harvard Law School in 2021, Duggins served as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau during her time there and most recently worked as an attorney with the Civil Rights Corps in Washington. On a 2023 podcast, she described her work litigating cases involving police abuse and pretrial detention across the country.

This fall, Duggins was set to begin a new role as a professor at Howard University School of Law.

Her career also included time as a White House intern during the Obama administration, where she worked on the First Lady’s Let Girls Learn initiative, and nearly a year teaching English in Taiwan on a Fulbright grant, according to her LinkedIn and biographical information provided by Wichita State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in economics.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy listens during a media briefing at Reagan National Airport on Thursday.

With the investigation into the midair collision at Reagan National Airport underway, Sean Duffy said Thursday night that he did not expect to be confronted with a major crisis just hours after being sworn in as transportation secretary.

“This is not what I expected on my first day on the job to be, but I do believe that God puts us exactly where we’re supposed to be,” Duffy said in a post on social media.

Duffy added that he has met with the families of those who died in the plane crash and shared that on Friday, he will visit the Federal Aviation Administration command center and recovery hanger.

The transportation secretary also said he is developing a “plan to fix” the FAA.

Read more about Secretary Duffy’s first days in the role here.

Michael “Mikey” Stovall and Jesse Pitcher, along with other friends, were traveling after their annual hunting trip to Kansas when they were killed in the DC plane crash, according to family members.

Stovall’s mother, Christina Stovall, told CNN affiliate WINK that he was an amazing father and son.

“Mikey did not have one enemy,” she said. “He loved everybody. He’s the happiest person. He saw good in everybody, almost to a fault.”

Seven friends all together joined in on the hunting trip, she said.

Jesse Pitcher worked with Stovall, Pitcher’s father, Jameson Pitcher, told The New York Times.
Pitcher told his dad he was looking forward to the trip. He had been married for just over a year and was in the process of building a home, his dad said.

Stovall worked as a steamfitter, his cousin, Shawna Slarb, told the Times. Steamfitters UA Local 602 shared a statement on Facebook confirming four members of the union were among the victims of the plane crash. No names were released.

Divers working on the recovery of victims of the plane collision in Washington, DC, are facing significant challenges amid an intense mud and near-zero visibility, despite the aircraft resting on only a few feet of water, experts say.

At least 14 people are still missing while dozens of bodies have been recovered after a plane carrying 64 passengers from Wichita, Kansas collided with a US Army helicopter carrying three soldiers, sources told CNN.

Although the fuselage rests in just a few feet of water, the conditions make recovery painstakingly difficult, according to Butch Hendrick, a rescue trainer and founder of Lifeguard Systems, a New York-based program for divers and rescue personnel.

“The mud becomes an intense problem. The severe lack of visibility means divers are essentially going through the aircraft by feel — like reading in braille. And now they’re dealing with a fuselage that’s torn apart,” Hendrick told CNN’s Abby Phillip.

“Every foot, every six inches they move, there’s the potential for another snag, another hazard, or even an injury to the divers. So they have to be extremely careful inside that aircraft,” he added, also warning of contamination risks from fuel and debris in the river.

Hendrick pointed out that airplane seat belts, unlike car restraints, are lap belts without shoulder straps, so “the bodies may not necessarily still be in their seats.”

Top row: Jonathan Campos, Ian Epstein, Jinna Han, Samuel Lilley and Spencer Lane. Bottom row: Christine Lane, Grace Maxwell, Vadim Naumov, Asra Hussain Raza and Evgenia Shishkova

All 67 passengers on board the American Airlines regional jet and US Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided midair Wednesday night are presumed dead – a grim tragedy that has left a heartbreaking trail of mourning families in its wake.

The somber day will be remembered as the deadliest aviation disaster in the US since 2001.

As details of the disturbing catastrophe emerge and additional bodies are identified, the full weight and impact of the lives lost grows heavier.

Read more about some of the victims identified so far here.

GE Aerospace employee Vikesh Patel is among the victims of the DC plane collision on Wednesday, Larry Culp, chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace confirmed to CNN affiliate WXIX.

“This is a tragedy not only for our industry, but also for the GE Aerospace team as one of our cherished colleagues was onboard the flight. Our hearts are with all the families impacted by this horrific accident,” the company said in a statement shared on its social media.

Casey Crafton, a father of three from Salem, Connecticut, was among those killed in Wednesday night’s plane crash over the Potomac River, according to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.

“Salem has lost a dedicated father, husband, and community member. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” Lamont said in a post on X.

Montville Youth Soccer Club, where Crafton volunteered, released a statement saying he “helped to enrich the lives of all those that he came in contact with. Our deepest condolences go out to his family during this tragic time.”

Salem CT Little League also posted a tribute saying, “Our small town is heartbroken by a devastating tragedy involving one of our beloved Little League members. The Crafton family, deeply involved in all things Salem, has suffered an unimaginable loss.”

Dave Hoagland, President of the DC Fire Fighters Association, speaks to Kaitlan Collins on Thursday night.

When a direct line with Reagan National Airport rang on Wednesday night, first responders answering the call expected to hear about a flight in distress.

“This time it rang, and it just said ‘crash, crash, crash,’” David Hoagland, President of the DC Fire Fighters Association, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

Hoagland said his members started encountering wreckage in the water and immediately started finding victims.

“It’s graphic. They encountered people inside the plane still strapped in their seats, and they weren’t able to remove them right away,” Hoagland said.

Though the water was clear and only eight feet deep, Hoagland said that his rescuers were cutting their wetsuits in debris.

“Today, a lot of the effort has been focused on removing people from inside the plane who they were not able to remove last night, as well as just continuing to scan the entire area to see who they can locate.”

Sarah Lee Best and Elizabeth Anne Keys, associates at the law firm Wilkinson Stekloff, were confirmed to be among the victims of the plane collision in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

“We are heartbroken by this terrible tragedy. Liz and Sarah were cherished members of our firm — wonderful attorneys, colleagues and friends,” the firm said in a statement.

Keys, a 33-year-old Cincinnati native was traveling aboard the flight from Wichita, Kansas, her family confirmed to CNN affiliate WXIX.

The crash occurred on what would have been her birthday, the outlet reported.

“Words cannot express how deeply Elizabeth, my Bitsy, will be missed. We are filled with unbearable sorrow and despair at our loss,” her family wrote in a statement.

A 2010 valedictorian of Madeira High School, Keys went on to graduate from Tufts University, where she was a standout member of the varsity sailing team. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, according to her social media.

She was remembered as an exceptional lawyer who brought “fearlessness, humor, and sharp wit to work every day, no matter the setting or circumstances.”

Best, who joined the firm last fall, was described as someone who “quickly energized us all with her boundless curiosity, kindness, and intelligence.”

A union that represents aviation professionals has said that the United States is the “gold standard” for aviation safety in a statement today.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said that they are joining all Americans in expressing their condolences for the 67 people that lost their lives on Wednesday night.

“As we await more information from the ongoing investigations, our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, and military members and their families, as well as the first responders who were on scene,” read a statement on their official website.

“NATCA stands with the highly trained, highly skilled air traffic controller workforce and those who perform safety-critical work 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, 365 days-a-year and keeps the United States as the gold standard for aviation safety,” it added.

Dashcam footage shows moment passenger plane collides with Army Black Hawk helicopter

00:09 - Source: CNN

Dashcam video obtained by CNN shows the dramatic moment American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday night.

The video was taken by a family who was on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling when they witnessed the collision. In the video, a bright orange flash is seen in the sky before multiple fragments are seen falling towards the ground. Voices in the background can be heard saying “what happened,” “oh my god, oh my,” before the video cuts off.

The family who took the video told CNN that they wished to remain anonymous as they were “traumatized” by the incident. They said that “they’re praying for the families of the victims and first responders,” adding that they hope the video “helps with the investigation.”

Olivia Ter, a 12-year-old figure skater celebrated for her exceptional talent and her ability to inspire those around her, is being remembered as an endearing influence among her peers.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County confirmed Thursday night that Ter was among the victims of the DC plane crash. Ter was one of four highly accomplished youth skaters from the region chosen to attend a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, according to an M-NCPPC statement.

“The impact of Olivia’s life will continue to resonate in our youth sports community, and she will be sorely missed,” said Bill Tyler, Director of the park and planning commission. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Ter family, friends, teammates, and all those affected by this devastating loss.”

“Olivia not only excelled in figure skating programs, but inspired others through her talent, determination and sportsmanship. Her passion for the sport and positive influence on her peers and coaches will not be forgotten,” M-NCPPC said.

It’s not known yet whether the crew on board the Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday was wearing night vision goggles, but will be determined as part of the investigation, said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff of an Army Aviation division.

Koziol could not share the names of the crewmembers, but said it was “a fantastic crew. Very experienced at what they were doing.”

The pilot who had over 1,000 flight hours was “well thought of in their unit.”

“The question is on altitudes now,” he continued. “With this proximity to the airport, there are control measures. There was a route. It is an FAA route that the aircraft can fly. And it just depends on if they had the reporting point, position, location and if they identified the aircraft.”

This has been updated with additional information.

Search parties continuing to look for missing people in the Potomac River will have to contend with expected rainfall across the greater Washington, DC, area Friday.

Clouds have been increasing in the area as a storm currently soaking the Central US shifts to the East.

In the Washington, DC, area, rainfall is expected to begin early Friday and should persist through the day. The rainfall is expected to be accompanied by gusts potentially reaching 30 mph. Peak wind and rain is expected between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Winds should begin to die down by 9 p.m. Friday and rainfall will largely wrap up by midnight Saturday.

Temperatures should be cool this weekend, with highs expected to remain in the mid to upper 40s. Monday’s high is expected to be in the 60s before dropping back to the low 50s for Tuesday. No rainfall is in the forecast for Washington, DC, until Wednesday.

Christine Lane, left, and Spencer Lane.

Spencer Lane, 16, started figure skating three years ago and was already a rising star in the sport who was expected to become a “serious competitor for the Olympic team,” a family spokesperson told CNN.

Both Spencer and his mother, 49-year-old Christine Lane, were among those killed in the aircraft collision in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night while en route from Wichita, Kansas, to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, CNN previously reported.

After learning the tragic news, Spencer’s father Doug Lane took a train from his residence in Providence, Rhode Island, all the way to Washington, DC, Thursday afternoon, according to the spokesperson.

The 16-year-old attended high school in Rhode Island before leaving to devote himself to the sport full time, the spokesperson said. “He had developed an interest in skating and his family supported him all the way,” the spokesperson added.

Spencer was among the young skaters who attended the National Development Camp in Wichita after the US championships last weekend to work with coaches and top skaters.

He won this season’s Eastern Sectional competition in the intermediate division.

Spencer got his start with his skating career at Warwick Figure Skaters, the Rhode Island-based skating club said in a Facebook post honoring him.

There was one air traffic controller working two different tower positions at the time of the collision Wednesday night, an air traffic control source tells CNN.

The source describes the set-up, which had one person handling both local and helicopter traffic, as not uncommon.

The New York Times, which first reported the detail, says an internal, preliminary Federal Aviation Administration internal report says staffing was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”

The Reagan National control tower is 85 percent staffed, the source said, with 24 of 28 positions filled.

The National Transportation Safety Board is just beginning its investigation and will look at a wide range of potential causes of the collision. It is too early to tell whether the tower staffing at the time played a role in the incident.

A government source familiar with the investigation tells CNN the airport control tower supervisor made the decision to combine the two roles Wednesday night, something they can do at their discretion when the air traffic volume is light. The source said there was no “staffing trigger” at the DCA tower, meaning they were not short-staffed.

CNN has reached out to the FAA for comment.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District began supporting the effort to clear wreckage from the Potomac River on Thursday.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is helping local, regional and federal agencies clear wreckage from the Potomac River following the deadly collision Wednesday night.

The USACE’s Baltimore district has activated its emergency operations center, according to a news release Thursday. It’s working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving “to determine the key actions required to assist with recovery and salvage operations,” the release said.

As part of the response and recovery efforts, USACE is providing two debris vessels to assist collecting debris on the river and removing ice at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling. USACE will also provide hydrographic surveying via “the BUCK,” a 26-foot survey vessel equipped with single and multi-beam sonars.

Search efforts are seen around the wreckage site in the Potomac River, early Thursday.

In the three years before the deadly collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport, at least two other pilots reported near-misses with helicopters while landing at the airport, a CNN review of federal incident reports found.

On two occasions, passenger planes had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with a helicopter when trying to land at the airport, according to reports filed by pilots. In a third incident, two military helicopters got too close together, an air traffic controller reported.

The previous near-misses between planes and helicopters at DCA airport were detailed in NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System database, which records incidents reported by aviation personnel. The reports are filed anonymously and don’t identify specific airlines or flights.

Read CNN’s full investigation

Black boxes recovered from crash were taken to National Transportation Safety Board labs for evaluation, the NTSB said on X.

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — known as black boxes — from the American Airlines plane have now been recovered, the National Transportation Safety Board told CNN.