The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released photos of the recovery of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided last month with a military helicopter in a horror collision.
In one of the photos shared by the NTSB last week, crews are seen recovering the wreckage from the Potomac River.
The NTSB has continued to update the public about the progress of the investigation of the midair collision.
In an update, the NTSB said that in coordination with the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, recovered last week the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and additional parts of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 from the Potomac River.
The team continues to search for additional parts of the Black Hawk including the right engine and tail rotor.
To remind, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 “Black Hawk” helicopter collided midair over the Potomac River at 8:47 p.m. local time on January 29.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft. The response got under way quickly, with all available help from the US Coast Guard.
The NTSB investigators examined last week the MHI RJ Aviation CRJ700 wreckage that has been recovered and secured.
The flight data for both aircraft are being analyzed and parameters continued to be validated.
NTSB, in coordination with SUPSALV, recovered the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk today. Additional information in today's investigative update for the Jan. 29 mid-air collision near DCA: https://t.co/C01PwrsmIF pic.twitter.com/gfsgRh7lgN
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) February 7, 2025
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, President Donald Trump ordered the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior 4 years.
In a memorandum signed on January 30, Trump ordered the immediate assessment of the aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards.
“This review shall include a systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden Administration,” the White House said in its statement.
