More victims of the deadly Army helicopter and plane collision were recovered this weekend, D. Eleven of the victims were removed on Saturday as search crews continued to comb through the wreckage along the Potomac River, according to officials. Out of the 67 victims, 55 of them have been positively identified, Donnelly told reporters at a news conference.
In addition to finding the 12 additional remains, authorities are focused on removing the remnants of the regional American Airlines jet. Salvage equipment will be moved into place Sunday and the removal is expected to take about three days, officials said. Dozens of families members of the 67 victims who perished in the collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane gathered on Sunday for a memorial ceremony.
Ten charter buses with a police escort transported the family members to the banks of the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington, D. Images taken at the end of runway 33 near the wreckage site in the Potomac River show one mourner erecting a memorial of crosses for the victims and placing roses on them.
The D. Preliminary data recovered from the American Airlines plane indicates the aircraft was attempting to increase altitude just before the midair collision with the Black Hawk chopper. In a news conference Saturday, NTSB investigator Brice Banning indicated the American Airlines plane appeared to begin to "increase its pitch" just prior to the collision, indicating there was vertical movement of the nose of the aircraft. King Charles III issued a statement Saturday on behalf of the British Royal Family, saying they were "profoundly shocked and saddened" by the news of the midair collision.
Preliminary data showed that the American Airlines jet was flying at an altitude of feet, plus or minus 25 feet, when it collided with the Black Hawk helicopter, NTSB board member Todd Inman said in a news briefing Saturday.
