Black Boxes of American Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 Still Unrecovered
The recorders, which contain cockpit voice recordings and flight data, remain submerged in the water.
The black boxes containing voice recorder data and flight details from the American Eagle Bombardier aircraft that crashed in Washington after colliding with a helicopter remain at the bottom of the Potomac River, preventing investigators from accessing their contents.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the agency leading the investigation into the crash, shared this update on Thursday, January 30, according to Aeroin.
During a press conference, an NTSB spokesperson confirmed that the black boxes are still inside the aircraft. Initial assessments suggest no visible damage to the fuselage in the area where the recorders are located. However, since the wreckage of the Bombardier CRJ-700 remains submerged in the Potomac River, retrieving the devices has not yet been possible.
Fatal Midair Collision
Flight AA 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky VH-60M Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport for landing.
The crash, which occurred on the night of Wednesday, January 29, 2025, resulted in the deaths of all 64 people on board the aircraft and the three individuals in the helicopter.
Investigation Timeline
The NTSB did not provide a timeline for recovering the black boxes but reiterated that a preliminary report will be released within 30 days, around March 1.
Officials did not disclose how many bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River, which remains partially frozen due to winter conditions in North America.
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