ARLINGTON, Va. − Teams are actively working to finish removing the wreckage of a commercial airplane and a military chopper from the Potomac River, one week following the tragic midair collision that led to the deaths of all 67 individuals onboard both aircraft.

On Tuesday afternoon, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that all bodies had been retrieved from the river, along with most parts of the Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft. Remaining pieces of the plane and the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter will be taken to Hangar 7 at the nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for investigation related to the accident.

The air traffic control data indicated that the Black Hawk was flying at approximately 300 feet when the incident occurred, according to the NTSB. This altitude exceeds the approved maximum of 200 feet for that flight path.

As a precaution, the Federal Aviation Administration has limited helicopter flights in the vicinity of the airport and shut down Runway 33, which American Eagle Flight 5342 was approaching before the crash on January 29.

Scrutiny over Runway 33

Reports indicate that the main flight paths to the airport’s primary runway offer significant altitude clearance for jets above helicopter routes. However, Runway 33 presents unique challenges, as it can lead planes within just 15 feet of the Route 4 helicopter corridor used by the Black Hawk, as reported by the Washington Post, citing FAA information.

According to Scott Dunham, a former NTSB investigator and air traffic control instructor, the overlap of the helicopter route and the landing procedures for Runway 33 puts aircraft “in the same location.” He noted the necessity to alter one of the flight paths.

Increasing air traffic raises safety concerns

In recent years, multiple close calls and near-collisions have been reported across the nation, alarming both experts and officials. Robert W. Mann Jr., a past airline executive and current president of R. W. Mann and Co. consulting, explained to YSL News that the surge in air travel has resulted in more planes and helicopters sharing the skies.

“This leads to a busier and more complicated control environment, particularly near large airports, but also along flight routes, thus creating greater challenges,” Mann commented. “The intricate dynamics and high density of air traffic in terminal areas of major airports are responsible for the rising number of incidents, including runway incursions, taxiway incidents, and in some cases, devastating tragedies.” Read more here.

− Zach Wichter and Nathan Diller

Naval academy alumnus among those lost

Brian Ellis, who played a pivotal role as the starting quarterback in his high school football team’s championship victory in Georgia in 1987, was remembered fondly this week. His school district honored him, emphasizing his “leadership and commitment to team values,” which he carried throughout his successful football tenure at the U.S. Naval Academy and his nearly 22 years as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. Tragically, he was among the 66 others who died in the crash over Washington, D.C., last week.

At the age of 53, Ellis dedicated 12 years of his Marine Corps career to serving as a helicopter pilot and instructor, with deployments overseas. His friends found it particularly ironic and difficult to comprehend that he died in a collision with an Army helicopter. Read more here.

− Dinah Voyles Pulver