The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that five individuals were present in the air traffic control tower at Reagan Washington National Airport during the tragic collision on January 29 involving a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which resulted in the deaths of 67 people.

During a press briefing on Saturday, NTSB member Todd Inman shared that further updates on the investigation would be released, including a complete transcription of the communications between the aircraft and air traffic controllers scheduled for Sunday.

Analyzing the available audio recordings, lead investigator Brice Banning noted that the control tower instructed the Black Hawk helicopter to fly behind the passenger jet around 8:47 p.m. ET. Moments later, the jet’s crew reacted verbally, and flight data indicated that the aircraft began to ascend just prior to the collision sounds.

The five individuals staffing the control tower included an operations supervisor overseeing the tower and a trainee operations supervisor, Inman clarified.

When questioned about whether the staffing level during the incident was adequate or typical, Inman remarked, “What is considered typical can vary depending on the day of the week, time of day, and weather conditions. We won’t define anything as typical until we have more detailed information to provide.”

A report by The Washington Post indicated on Friday that, according to government findings, the staffing levels in the tower at that time were “not normal.”

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Additionally, on Saturday, the U.S. Army confirmed the identity of the third pilot in the Army helicopter involved in the incident as Captain Rebecca Lobach, 28, from Durham, North Carolina. She was one of three soldiers on the helicopter, as announced by the Army along with a statement from Lobach’s family that evening. The Army had previously identified the other two soldiers.

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