Remaining Large Wreckage Removed From The Potomac River From Midair Collision

Recovery salvage experts lift a wing of the American Eagle wreckage from the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Monday and removed the last large piece of wreckage from the Army Black Hawk helicopter on Thursday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 6 (UPI) — Salvage crews have recovered the last large pieces of aircraft wreckage from the Potomac River on Thursday and are focusing on collecting small pieces from the crash site where 67 died.

“Thanks to the exhaustive efforts of Unified Command personnel, we were able to safely remove all major wreckage components of both the jet and helicopter from the Potomac in four days while simultaneously aiding recovery efforts to reunite families who are mourning the tremendous loss of their loved ones,” USACE Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera announced Thursday in a news release shared with UPI.

Personnel with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving participated in the salvage operations to recover the wreckage of the American Airlines-owned American Eagle Flight 5342 airliner and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided on the evening of Jan. 29.

The Bombardier CRJ700 airliner carried 64 passengers and crew while the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carried three soldiers who were on a nighttime training mission when the collision occurred over the Potomac River and left no survivors.

The salvage crews completed recovery of all 67 bodies in the Potomac River on Tuesday and have been focused on recovering the remains of the airliner and helicopter.

The large pieces that have been removed are being transported by truck to a secure location where National Transportation Safety Board investigators can lay out the respective pieces of each aircraft for further inspection.

The salvage crews on Tuesday recovered the last remaining large pieces of the airliner and focused efforts on recovering the large pieces of the helicopter, where were removed today.

They now are focused on recovering smaller pieces from the remaining debris field after recovering the last large pieces of the helicopter.

“We will continue pushing forward in the coming days until we are confident the river is safe for navigation and that elements of evidentiary value are recovered and provided to the appropriate authorities,” Pera said.

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