Navy Salvage Team, FBI Divers Recovering CRJ Wreckage

The NTSB has been working in coordination with the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and announced that some parts of the CRJ700 passenger were recovered on February 4, 2025, including the aft section of the fuselage, the right engine, and right pylon. Salvage operations are continuing and FBI divers will be recovering smaller sections of the wreckage.

Recovery operations are currently concentrating on the Bombardier CRJ700 and will then turn to the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk military helicopter. Completion of recovery operations are anticipated to take several more days.

The NTSB investigators said they have obtained training and flight logs for both crews as well as the maintenance logs for both aircraft. The agency’s human performance team is putting together histories for both crews extending back several days and will include their daily activities. The air traffic control group has conducted interviews with all five staff members in the tower.

The NTSB team is also working on synchronizing data from the flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders from both aircraft with ATC communications and radar scope data to construct a detailed timeline of events preceding the collision.

The accident involved a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 operating as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, on final approach to Reagan Washington National Airport and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. The aircraft collided in the air over the Potomac River near the passenger jet’s destination.

The NTSB arrived and documented the wreckage, collected evidence, and interviewed witnesses. While the investigation is still ongoing, the agency expects to release a preliminary report by the end of February containing only the factual information gathered during this phase of the investigation. The release of its full report with probable cause and contributing factors is anticipated in 12 to 24 months.

FMI:  www.ntsb.gov/