Black boxes recovered from site of DC plane crash as Trump criticised for linking tragedy to diversity policies

31 January 2025, 06:00 | Updated: 31 January 2025, 06:39

The black boxes have been found for the passenger plane that crashed with a military helicopter over Washington DC which has left 67 presumed dead.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines regional jet late on Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington.

The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, and three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

Police divers and boats are searching the water for bodies, but conditions are described as "extremely rough" with "blocks of ice" in the recently frozen river.

The operation is expected to last at least several days.

The recovered flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder - known as the black boxes - will offer clues to investigators about what went wrong.

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Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is also facing criticism for suggesting diversity policies contributed to the crash.

Mr Trump opened the news conference with a moment of silence honouring the crash victims, calling it an "hour of anguish" for the country.

But he spent most of his time casting political blame, lashing out at former president Joe Biden's administration and diversity efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration, saying they had led to slipping standards - even as he acknowledged that the cause of the crash was unknown.

Without evidence, Mr Trump blamed air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots and Democratic policies at federal agencies. He claimed that the FAA was "actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative".

The crash occurred before 9pm in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles (about 4.8 kilometres) south of the White House and the Capitol.

It happened on approach to Runway 33 at around 9pm local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The helicopter was on a training exercise, they added.

Air crash investigations can take months, and federal investigators told reporters they would not speculate on the cause.

The plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water, and first responders were searching miles of the Potomac, Donnelly said.

The helicopter wreckage was also found. Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.

American Airlines chief executive Robert Isom said the plane was making a normal approach when "the military aircraft came into the path" of the jet.

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that was obtained by The Associated Press.