He National Transport Security Council (NTSB) confirmed the recovery of the main pieces of the plane of American Airlines and of the helicopter Black Hawk that collided on January 29 on the Potomac Rivernear the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. As reported by the NTSB, the remains of both aircraft have been transferred to a safe installation at the airport for detailed analysis, with the aim of clarifying the causes of the accident, which left a balance of 67 people deceased.
In an official statement, the NTSB explained that the researchers They are carefully examining the impact marks in the remains of the aircraft. These analyzes could provide clues about the angle of the collision and other relevant factors. In addition, the flight data and various key components are being evaluated, which will rebuild the events that led to the tragic accident, a crucial process to understand the technical or human failures that could have contributed.
ABC 11 He reported that recovery work has been complex due to the location of the accident and adverse climatic conditions. However, rescue teams managed to ensure significant parts of aircraft, which represents an important advance for the development of official research.
As part of the recovery work, avant -garde technology was used to map the Potomac River bed and locate possible additional remains of aircraft. According to ABC 11between 2:00 and 5:00 am on Saturday, the Oceanic and Atmospheric National Administration (NOAA) made a river scan using a green laser system known as Topobathy Lidar. This system is designed to generate detailed images of the seabed, allowing to identify submerged objects with high precision.
The use of Topobathy Lidar facilitated the identification of multiple submerged objectives that could correspond to additional fragments of the plane and the helicopter. Subsequently, NTSB specialized divers investigated these objectives detected, confirming the presence of parts of the aircraft. These diving tasks will continue during the week, with the aim of recovering any remaining component that may be relevant to research.
Although the scan was originally scheduled for Friday night, climatic conditions forced it to postpone it until Saturday. According to the NTSB, the data obtained during this operation will be integrated into the ongoing investigation, providing critical information to rebuild the exact sequence of the facts.
One of the central points of the investigation is the analysis of the ADS-B Surveillance System (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast)which provides real -time data on the Location, altitude, position and speed of aircraft. The NTSB is evaluating whether this system was installed and operational in the Black Hawk helicopter at the time of the collision, an issue that could be key to understanding how the accident occurred.
According to ABC 11the president of the NTSB, Jennifer HomendyHe explained that the electronic components of the helicopter are being reviewed to determine which systems were active during the flight. This review is fundamental, since the ADS-B allows more precise air traffic monitoring and could have contributed to avoid collision if it had been operational.
The senator Ted CruzPresident of Senate Trade, Science and Transportation CommitteeHe stressed that, since it was a training mission, there was no national security reason that justified that the ADS-B system was disabled. For its part, the senator Tammy Duckworthformer Black Hawk helicopter pilot, indicated that the army confirmed that the system was installed in the aircraft, although it is not yet clear if it was on at the time of the accident.
The Black Hawk helicopter, assigned to the military base of Fort Belvoir In Virginia, he carried out an annual competition training exercise in “government continuity” when the collision occurred. According to the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseththe pilots were highly experienced and used night vision glasses during the flight, suggesting that they had the necessary resources to operate in complex conditions.
These types of exercises are routine and aim to guarantee the preparation of crews for critical missions in emergency scenarios. However, the collision has generated questions about the coordination between military and civil flights in shared air spaces, especially near high density airports such as Washington, DC.
While recovery work continues, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily reduced air traffic in the Ronald Reagan National Airport. According to a FAA spokesman, the arrivals per hour was reduced from 28 to 26 flights, which has caused an increase in the delay times, which passed from 40 to 50 minutes. Adverse climatic conditions have also contributed to these delays.
In response to the accident, several senators, including TED Cruz, have requested a review of safety procedures in airports that handle a high volume of helicopter traffic in proximity to commercial airplanes. FAA announced that it will carry out this national review, with the aim of identifying possible risks and improving safety measures in shared airspace.
The NTSB, in collaboration with the Rescue and diving supervisor of the Naval Systems Commandhas recovered much of the Black Hawk helicopter and other significant fragments of the accident remains. Researchers are working to analyze the recovered material and determine the exact circumstances that led to collision.
According to ABC 11the legislators were informed about the advances of the investigation last Thursday, although there have been no significant findings so far. The authorities hope that the analysis of the flight data, together with the recovered remains and the impact brands, allows to shed light on the causes of this tragic accident, which has generated concern about safety in shared airspace between commercial aircraft and military
