President: ‘The helicopter was flying too high’. 40 bodies recovered, search still ongoing in the Potomac
The causes of the plane crash in Washington in which 67 people lost their lives are becoming clearer. US President Donald Trump indicated in a post on Truth Social that the military Black Hawk involved in the collision with an American Airlines flight may have flown ‘too high’. ‘The Black Hawk was flying too high, by far,’ he wrote. ‘It was well above the 200-foot limit. Not very complicated to understand, right?’
Recovery operations: 40 bodies extracted, no survivors
US authorities have so far recovered 40 bodies among the 67 victims. A total of 64 people were travelling on the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, and three were on board the helicopter. The possibility of finding survivors has been ruled out.
At least 14 people are still missing and the search continues amidst enormous difficulties. The black boxes have been recovered and investigators hope to provide a preliminary report within a month.
Search in the Potomac: extreme conditions for divers
Recovery operations in the Potomac River are complex due to thick mud and almost zero visibility. According to Butch Hendrick, salvage expert and founder of Lifeguard Systems, the divers have to ‘grope their way across’.
‘Every metre travelled is a potential danger to rescuers, between debris and fuel dispersed in the water,’ Hendrick explained. The fuselage is only a few metres down, but is destroyed in several parts, making recovery even more complex.
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