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Authorities have actually recovered 41 bodies after a plane crash in Washington DC.

Sixty-seven individuals were killed when an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter collided mid-air on Wednesday night. So far, 28 bodies have actually been identified.

Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River after the collision. Some 300 personnel were sent to the scene, however the rescue quickly became a recovery mission as authorities stated there were no survivors.

Washington crash: Follow the current updates

Federal investigators have recovered the black boxes from the passenger jet, while authorities were still searching for employment similar devices in the helicopter.

Meanwhile, amid questions over how well the control tower was staffed on the night of the crash, it's been validated that an air traffic control manager had actually let a controller leave their shift early.

The detail, first reported by the New york city Times, has actually been validated to Sky News' US partner NBC News by a source acquainted with the investigation.

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It indicates a single controller was managing both aircraft and helicopter traffic in the location when the two airplane clashed.

It is permitted - but not ideal - for one controller to do both jobs, NBC News reported.

The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 travelers and 4 team when it crashed with the Black Hawk helicopter, employment carrying three soldiers, employment soon before 9pm regional time on Wednesday.

Flight 5342 was preparing to land on runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it hit the helicopter in one of the most tightly controlled airspaces on the planet.

'Em ergency vehicles sped past me'

A man whose spouse was on the flight has recalled how he saw emergency situation services "speeding past" as he was waiting at the airport to select her up.

Hamaad Raza told NBC News his better half of two years, Asra, had actually "texted me [and] said, 'We're landing in 20 minutes'".

" I was waiting and I began seeing a lot of EMS automobiles speeding past me ... method a lot of, [more] than regular and my texts weren't going through."

Trump makes unverified diversity drive claim

Donald Trump has actually linked a variety drive at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under previous federal governments to the crash.

It has actually because been said there is no proof to support the US president's claim.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump recommended the variety efforts had made air travel less safe.

At a White House press instruction on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Mr Trump had signed a memorandum directing an instant assessment of FAA employing decisions made during the previous administration.

While Mr Trump's claim appears to have been debunked, there are concerns over staffing at Reagan Washington National Airport.

NBC News reported staffing in the air traffic control tower was "not typical", according to an initial FAA report.

The tower typically has a controller who focuses specifically on helicopter traffic - but at the time of the crash, a source said, employment one controller was supervising both airplane and helicopter activity.

The FAA, which manages air traffic control service as well as certification of workers and aircraft, lacks an irreversible administrator. Its former boss Michael Whitaker stepped down on 20 January - the day of Mr Trump's inauguration.

Follow Trump 100 on your podcast app Mr Trump has actually selected an acting administrator, Chris Rocheleau, in the wake of the crash.

Mr Whitaker had clashed with Mr Trump's confidante Elon Musk over the SpaceX rocket launches during his period at the FAA.

Since starting as head of the administration in October 2023, he was also required to respond to Boeing's safety and quality issues, and employment worked to hire more air traffic controllers due to a lack of personnel.

Learn more:. Washington DC plane crash: What we know so far. Air traffic control heard diverting aircrafts minutes after collision

At his instruction, Mr Trump blamed former president Joe Biden for lowering standards for air traffic controllers.

" We have to have our most intelligent people," he stated. "They need to be naturally gifted geniuses."

Mr Trump added: "The FAA is actively hiring workers who suffer extreme intellectual disabilities, psychiatric issues, and other psychological and physical conditions under a variety and addition hiring effort spelled out on the firm's website."

The American Association of People with Disabilities reacted to these claims, saying in a declaration on X: "FAA staff members with specials needs did not cause [the] tragic airplane crash.

" The investigation into the crash is still continuous. It is exceptionally inappropriate for the president to use this tragedy to push an anti-diversity hiring agenda. Doing so makes all Americans less safe."

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Mr Trump stated after being sworn in last week, he signed an executive order which "restored the highest standards of air traffic controllers".

At a later briefing, he was asked if gender or race played a role. He responded to: "It might have, I don't understand.