American Airlines plane wreckage hoisted out of river with a crane

Pieces of the American Airlines plane that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter have been lifted out of the Potomac River using a red crane. Salvage crews pulled an engine and other fuselage of the passenger jet on Monday morning, five days after the crash that killed 67 people. They worked to retrieve a wing of the regional jet. The operation to pull out the plane is expected to span a few days, and crews will then be able to work to take out the military helicopter.

More than 300 crew members are working to remove the wreckage and two Navy barges are being used to hoist the heavy pieces at the site near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC. Aerial images from the National Transportation Safety Board showed the Black Hawk submerged in the water near parts of the jet. As of Monday, bodies of 55 of the victims have been found. ‘All salvage operations are completed in close coordination with Unified Command to ensure the dignified recovery of missing flight passengers, personnel,’ stated the Army Corps.

‘Should any remains be located, an automatic work stoppage would begin until proper coordination with appropriate authorities.’. On Sunday, Washington Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly reiterated that crews are planning to ‘recover everyone’. The salvage operation is expected to be wrapped up by February 12. ‘If we knew where they were, though, we would already have them out, so we have some work to do as the salvage operation goes on,’ said Donnelly.

The crash on Wednesday night is the deadliest air incident in the US since 2001. The cause remains under investigation. An air traffic controller at the airport that night allegedly was allowed to clock out early, causing an understaffing, according to a report last week. Discrepancies in the altitudes of the passenger get and the helicopter are also being analyzed. ‘There are all kinds of reasons that you could deviate from an altitude, you know, something as simple as a flock of birds is in front of you or you may deviate if you see something that’s an obstacle or other threat,’ stated Army Deputy Director of Aviation Col Mark Ott on Saturday.

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