Jet’s Black Boxes Recovered as Investigators Probe Deadly DC Crash

Investigators have recovered the black boxes from the crashed jet in Washington, D.C., as they work to determine the cause of the deadly incident.

Investigators have retrieved the flight data recorders, commonly referred to as black boxes, from an American Airlines jet that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter on Wednesday near Washington DC.

The National Transportation Safety Board stated that they have “a lot of information but need some time to verify it.” They will release a preliminary report in 30 days.

Details about some of the 67 individuals who lost their lives in the crash are now starting to surface.

President Donald Trump expressed his condolences on Thursday, stating that “our hearts are shattered” by the tragedy.

Trump criticized the diversity regulations implemented by his predecessors, alleging that they led to underqualified individuals being hired for air traffic control positions. However, he did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

The identities of two out of the three individuals onboard the Black Hawk involved in the collision have been revealed, while the identity of the third person remains unknown.

Pilot Andrew Eaves from Mississippi has been identified by his wife, Carrie, as one of the victims in the helicopter incident. She requests “privacy while we grieve.”

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced that the state “is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves.” To provide some context, a chief warrant officer is responsible for offering leadership and training within their area of expertise.

According to CBS News, 29-year-old Ryan O’Hara served as the crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter.

His Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) group confirmed his death in a social media post, stating that he is survived by his wife and one-year-old son.

We are now able to share the identities of some passengers who were on board during the tragic plane crash.

Kiah Duggins, a professor at Howard University, was one of the victims in Wednesday’s crash, according to Ben Vinson III, the university’s president. He expressed “profound sadness” upon hearing the news of her passing.

Sarah Lee Best and Elizabeth Keys, both 33-year-old lawyers from the same firm, tragically lost their lives in a fatal crash. Elizabeth’s partner, David Siedman, revealed to The Washington Post that she passed away on her birthday. Sarah’s husband, Daniel Solomon, described her as “kind and hardworking.”

Governor Ned Lamont shared on social media that Casey Crafton, a “devoted father” from Salem, Connecticut, was among the passengers in the tragic plane crash.

Asra Hussain Raza, 26, relocated to the Washington DC area from Indiana after obtaining a master’s degree in hospital management. Her husband mentioned that she was “coming back from a work trip where she contributed to enhancing a hospital.”

Michael Stovallwas was returning home from his annual hunting trip with friends, as his mother Christina shared with Wink News. According to his cousin’s statement to the New York Times, he was on a flight accompanied by at least six friends from the trip.

Jesse Pitcher was one of the people traveling with Michael Stovall, according to his father, Jameson Pitcher, who spoke to The New York Times. Jesse married last year and his father mentioned that “he was just beginning his life.”

Earlier, we reported that the Philippine National Police confirmed Colonel Pergentino Malabed was on board the plane. Additionally, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry informed AFP that two Chinese nationals were among the victims; however, their names have not been released yet.

The captain of the American Airlines flight that was involved in the fatal crash has been identified as Jonathan Campos.

Epic Flight Academy shared in a Facebook post that “he was a skilled and dedicated pilot with an undeniable passion for flying.”

Sam Lilley has been announced as the co-pilot for the American Airlines flight, according to his father Timothy in an interview with Fox 5 News Atlanta.

“This is, without a doubt, the most devastating day of my life,” he expressed to the news channel upon discovering that his son was one of the pilots on board.

Ian Epstein was a flight attendant on the plane, according to his family. They described him as someone who could effortlessly bring smiles to people’s faces and was “full of life.”

The statement continued by noting that while he cherished his role as a flight attendant because of his passion for traveling and meeting new people, his greatest love was reserved for his family.

Danasia Elder was also serving as a flight attendant on the plane, her family has informed US media.

Brandon Payne, her brother-in-law, honored her memory by describing her as “full of life.” He further remarked, “She was a wonderful wife, an amazing parent, and a cherished friend.”

We’ve gained additional insights into several passengers from the crashed American Airlines flight, such as former Russian skating stars Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

The duo served as coaches at a Boston club.

They became world champions in 1994 and subsequently participated in the Winter Olympics before transitioning to coaching positions in the United States.

They are survived by their 24-year-old son, Max, who pursued a career in figure skating like his parents.

The Russian embassy in Washington reports that U.S. authorities have shown their “readiness to assist” with the repatriation of the remains.

According to the Russian news agency Tass, Inna Volyanskaya, a former Soviet Union skater, was also on the flight.

U.S. President Donald Trump informed reporters yesterday that the nation was mourning and expressed his condolences during “an hour of anguish” while paying tribute to first responders and victims of the air crash.

Then he made a sudden shift, offering yet another indication of how his presidency will be markedly different: confrontational, impromptu, and swift to assign blame.

“We’re unsure about the exact cause of the crash, but we have some firm opinions and hypotheses,” he said.

He went on to suggest that alterations in the hiring standards for air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration during both the Biden and Obama administrations might have contributed to the disaster.

However, it’s uncertain how the push for greater diversity in recruitment has affected the ranks of air traffic controllers—positions that Trump stated should be filled by “naturally talented geniuses.” The FAA employs over 35,000 people, but only a small portion are actually air traffic controllers.

Just 24 hours prior to the tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac, air traffic control audio revealed that another jet had to abort its landing at Reagan National Airport when a helicopter came dangerously close to its flight path.

The incident, covered by both the Washington Post and CNN, took place on Tuesday night as Republic Airways Flight 4514 was nearing runway 19 at the airport. At that moment, air traffic control alerted them to a nearby helicopter.

“There’s a helicopter over Georgetown [a district of Washington DC] heading north at an altitude of 300 feet,” the controller informed the flight, as captured in audio from LiveATC.net.

Data from FlightAware, a flight tracking site, shows that within moments the commercial jet began making a right turn away from Reagan National Airport.

The pilot is heard saying, “We had an RA, Brickyard 4514 is going around,” referencing a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) resolution advisory.

The aircraft landed back at Reagan National Airport on Tuesday at 8:11 PM local time.

BBC