PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

NTSB Recovers Black Boxes From Potomac River After Tragic D.C. Plane Crash

Investigators are analyzing the plane’s flight recorder data in a lab, and expect to produce a preliminary report on the crash in 30 days.

Investigators have recovered the flight recorders—also known as black boxes—from both the commercial jet and the military helicopter involved in the midair collision near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. It was the first major commercial airline crash in the U.S. in years. About 300 first responders spent Thursday combing the partially-frozen and murky Potomac River searching for survivors from the deadly crash between American Eagle flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter out of Fort Belvoir. A total of 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the commercial fight, operated by an American Airlines subsidiary, while three people were in the helicopter. The National Transportation Safety Board finally confirmed the recovery of both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from both aircraft on Thursday night, adding that the equipment would be sent to the agency’s lab for analysis. At a press conference earlier the same day, the agency said it expected to publish a preliminary report on the crash in 30 days.

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Zachary FolkFreelance Reporter

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