Recap: Concerns about DCA air traffic safety grow as region mourns crash victims

Among the victims of the Potomac crash was Kiah Duggins, a civil rights lawyer and professor who was about to start at Howard University.

“We are coming to terms with the grief associated with the loss of our beautiful and accomplished firstborn," her parents said in a statement. "Please respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

Duggins was slated to start as a professor at the Howard University School of Law in the fall. She most recently worked at the Civil Rights Corp, where she litigated "on behalf of movements challenging unconstitutional policing and money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C.," according to the Civil Rights Corps website.

Duggins was a graduate of Harvard Law School and earned bachelor's degrees at Wichita State. Her Civil Rights Corps profile said she enjoyed international travel, dancing and "asking about people’s daily magical moments."

Stephanie and Roger Haynos and their son, Cory, are among those who lost their lives in the crash. They were headed back from the prestigious skating camp in Wichita, Roger Haynos' cousins, Matthew LaRaviere and Leah Bucher, confirmed.

The couple were incredible parents who created a loving home for their two children, the cousins said. Roger Haynos had retired early to support Cory in his figure-skating career and the family was so proud of him and his talent, they said.

Throughout the years, Cory Haynos spent his young life honing his craft and racking up awards along the way. His talents earned him a spot at the prestigious camp in Wichita.

The day before the crash, Cory had landed a difficult triple axel in front of the coaches.

Therapy dogs helped comfort skaters impacted by the tragedy Friday afternoon.

They were on hand at the Ashburn Ice House to offer much needed emotional support.

Skaters and family members were seen petting and hugging them all afternoon.

Officials have recovered the black box from the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly midair crash over Washington.

"We saw no exterior damage that would indicate that it was compromised," an NTSB official said.

Earlier, two black boxes from the American Airlines passenger jet had been recovered in good condition.

Search crews have recovered another body from the water near the fuselage of the plane, two sources told News4 Friday evening.

Forty-two victims' remains have been found since Wednesday night's midair crash. There are 25 more victims that have yet to be recovered.

Investigators are asking anyone who might see debris floating in the river to not touch it and to immediately call 911.

Officials are asking the public to not touch any debris they might encounter in the area because it is part of the investigation.

Instead, residents should call 911.

The FAA is restricting helicopter traffic in the area over the Potomac River around Reagan National and stretching to the Wilson Bridge, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday afternoon.

The restricted areas include:

• Memorial Bridge to South Capitol Street Bridge, excluding the Tidal Basin
• Haines Point to Wilson Bridge
• Over the top of DCA

Helicopters can still enter the airspace for lifesaving medical support, active law enforcement, active air defense, or presidential transport helicopter missions that must operate in the restricted area.

The restrictions will remain in place until the NTSB completes its preliminary investigation, according to the release from Duffy.

Robert Isom, the CEO of American Airlines, released a statement Friday afternoon thanking the Trump administration for restricting the airspace around DCA in the aftermath of the air disaster above the Potomac River.

“We are all hurting as we continue to grieve the loss of our passengers and team members," the statement reads. "I thank President Trump for his leadership on aviation safety. I applaud him, Secretary Duffy and the Administration for taking quick and decisive action today to restrict helicopter activity around DCA."

"In the days ahead, we will work tirelessly with the Administration and leaders in Congress to make our aviation system even safer, including by increasing investments in infrastructure, technology and personnel.” 

The crew of a City Cruises harbor touring cruise ship were asked in the hours after the crash Wednesday night to help provide a floating space of respite for first responders and divers.

Its cruise ship provided a place to warm up, for first responders to have a warm meal or coffee, even using table linens as blankets for responders coming out of the water.

In a statement Friday, a spokesperson for Hornblower Group’s City Cruises said the crew of its ship, the National Elite, was continuing to assist searchers, and the crew of a second ship had begun plans to do the same.

Passengers should expect two of the three runways at Reagan National Airport to be closed for a week, Terry Liercke, vice president and manager of the airport, said during a news conference a short time ago.

Liercke said officials will reassess the situation Monday, calling it a fluid situation.

Despite the closed runways, officials say the airport is operating normally, but that passengers should check with their airlines for delays or cancellations.

The airport has had 182 delays and 124 cancelations today, according to FlightAware. You can also find updates on flights can at DCA’s website.

DCA was closed for about 14 hours after Wednesday night's crash. Airport roads and terminals reopened yesterday morning before the first post-crash flight left shortly after 11 a.m.

First responders have recovered the remains of 41 people killed in the crash, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said during a news conference Friday afternoon.

Donnelly said authorities identified 28 of the victims recovered from the water. Eighteen families have been notified so far about the discovery of their loved ones' remains, he said.

"This is heartbreaking work," Donnelly said of the recovery efforts.

A total of 67 people were killed, officials have said. Donnelly said he was confident that search crews would find the remaining 26 victims.

"I believe that when we remove the aircraft that will help us resolve this number," he said.

One of the talented young figure skaters killed in the Potomac crash was a 12-year-old girl from Prince George’s County, Maryland. News4’s Arielle Hixson reports.

The husband of a victim of the Potomac crash said his wife texted him that she was about to land, but by the time he got to the airport to pick her up, his life had changed forever.

“She said, ‘We’re landing in 20 minutes,’” Hamaad Raza said.

That was the last thing he heard from his wife, Asra Hussain, who was one of 64 people on board American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with an Army helicopter as it approached Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.

“I was waiting and I started seeing a bunch of EMS vehicles speeding past me, like way too many than normal, and two, my texts weren’t going through,” Raza said.

The Department of the Army on Friday identified two of the three soldiers on a military helicopter involved in a midair collision with a passenger jet on Wednesday.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, is believed to be deceased pending positive identification, the Army said in a statement.

The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, have not been recovered, the Army said, and he is therefore duty status-whereabouts unknown (DUSTWUN).

At the request of the family, the name of the third soldier will not be released at this time, the Army said. That pilot is also classified as whereabouts unknown.

See a list of the victims identified so far.

Though Roberto Marquez doesn't know any of the 67 victims personally, he now stands in the cold, rainy D.C. weather where he's promised to stay until all those killed have a proper memorial.

Marquez, an artist known for traveling cross-country to memorialize victims of tragedy, drove from Dallas, Texas, to DCA when he heard about the crash.

Today, he hopes to finish 20 memorials — handmade, painted crosses adorned with flowers — and return in the following days until he finishes all 67. He hopes to give families, friends and communities a proper place to honor the victims.

Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty

"A memorial is very important because it is a place where people come to gather, where people can come to cry and share their prayers, a place that becomes a temple where we highlight the names of those deceased and perhaps compliment them with photos," Marquez said in Spanish. "And it’s also a place where we can bring all our flowers, our candles, and gather."

A thick fog has settled above the surface of the Potomac River.

First responder boats that have been out all morning conducting recovery operations are either invisible through the soup, or have left the river as the conditions have changed.

The water in the Potomac is still hovering just above freezing while the air temperature has climbed above 50 degrees, with a lot of humidity lingering in the air between bursts of rain.

Reagan National Airport was designed to accommodate 15 million passengers annually, but airport officials say it's been handling 25 million — 60% more passengers than ever intended.

There has been discussion for years between airport officials and elected leaders about whether air traffic safety is impacted by this dramatic increase.

Roughly 100 helicopter flights are conducted in and around the airport every day, according to DCA officials.

At this hour, we’ve seen 120+ flight cancellations at DCA today, for two reasons:

• Runway 33 — the runway where AA Flight 5342 was expected to land — is closed due to its proximity to the crash area. There is no timeline to reopen this runway, because it's close where they’re doing the recovery work.
• In addition, poor weather conditions today are leading to low ceilings in the D.C. area

Ryan O'Hara was one of three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk helicopter.

“Ryan was just the most committed, disciplined person I remember working with,” said Josh Muehlendorf, a senior instructor pilot in the U.S. Army. “He had such great integrity.”

The two flew together numerous times on the same route in D.C. several years prior to the fatal crash and O’Hara took rules and procedures seriously, according to Mehlendorf.

“Ryan was one of those crew chiefs who always had our back,” he said. “It’s really hard to stomach a guy as professional and excellent as he was.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also acknowledged the loss of O'Hara, as well as Sam Lilley, one of the American Airlines pilots. Both men were natives of Georgia.

In a White House press conference on Thursday, the Secretary of Defense discussed an "elevation issue" that may have contributed to the Potomac crash. But what does that mean?

The NTSB is the only agency authorized to release information about the cause of this tragic crash. But News4's Ted Oberg broke down what the elevation issue might have been.

Watch on TikTok:

American Airlines is set to retire flight number 5342, the company said in a statement Friday.

This is standard action following major aviation incidents.

Flight 5342 fatally collided mid-air with an Army helicopter while trying to land at Reagan National Airport before 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Sasha Kirsanov, a figure skating coach at the University of Delaware, was killed in Wednesday's crash, the college said in a release this morning.

“With a heavy heart, we struggle to express the impact of this tragedy on our Blue Hen community,” said Chrissi Rawak, UD's athletic director.

"Coach Sasha Kirsanov's presence was felt deeply in our ice arenas, where he devoted countless hours to the UD Figure Skating Club," Rawak said, adding that his "passion and commitment touched many lives, leaving a permanent mark on our campus."

A statement from the university also confirmed the loss of two skaters from the UD Figure Skating Club. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., identified the two skaters in a statement last night as Sean Kay and Angela Yang.

See a list of the victims identified so far.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued new flight restrictions for helicopters in the Washington, D.C., area and the Reagan National Airport (DCA), the agency tells NBC News.

Zone 1, which covers the airspace between certain bridges, is currently not active. In Zone 4, helicopters are now only permitted to fly south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

The FAA said that exceptions will be made for medical evacuation and law enforcement operations.

People grieving the loss of the Livingston family have left bouquets of flowers outside the front door of the their home in Ashburn, Virginia.

Everly Livingston, 14, and her sister Alydia Livingston, 11, were traveling with their parents Donna and Peter Livingston, NBC affiliate WJAC-TV reported. Family members confirmed to the news station that all four died in the crash.

A photo taken outside their home Friday shows numerous flower arrangements, some with notes, standing up on the front step along with votive candles.

See a list of the victims identified so far.

A source involved with the investigation tells NBC News that investigators are confident they will be able to locate the flight data recorder, or black box, from the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the American Eagle plane.

Since it’s a military helicopter, they are working closely with the army and the manufacturer Sikorski on the best way to safely extract the black box from the Potomac

Investigators last night recovered two black boxes from the American Eagle jet and recovery teams returned to the river this morning.

The Philippines National Police has confirmed the death of Police Col. Pergentino N. Malabed, who was on board the American Eagle plane that collided midair with the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

Malabed, chief of the supply management division, was on official travel at the time of the crash, according to the PNP. The PNP described his death as a significant loss to the force, highlighting his years of dedicated service.

“His untimely passing is a profound loss to the PNP, where he served with honor, integrity, and dedication throughout his career,” the PNP said Friday on Facebook. “His contributions to the PNP and the nation will never be forgotten.”

See a list of the victims identified so far.

In 2022, 10-year-old figure skater Jinna Han spoke to NBC10 Boston about her big dreams: "to go to the Olympics and try to get a gold medal."

Three years later and Jinna was well on her way — until the recently turned 13-year-old's burgeoning career was cut tragically short on American Airlines Flight 5342, when it collided with a military helicopter while landing at Washington, D.C. Wednesday night.

Jinna and her mother, who lived in Mansfield, Massachusetts, were among the six members of the Skating Club of Boston who died in the crash.

The Hans, another teenage skater and his mother and a pair of beloved Russian coaches were remembered with love and sorrow Thursday. Read more here.

See a list of the victims identified so far.

Washington Reagan National Airport is operating normally a day after a crash that killed more than 60 people.

"Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for delays or cancellations," the airport said on social media.

The military helicopter that collided with a regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in a crash that killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft was a UH-60 Black Hawk, considered the “workhorse” of Army aviation.

The helicopter is a “utility tactical transport” aircraft — used for everything from air assault to relief operations — that the Army says it has relied on for every major operation around the world for more than four decades.

First introduced in the Army in 1979, the aircraft is generally considered safe and has a strong track record for reliability and survivability in combat and transport missions, said Timothy A. Loranger, an aviation attorney and former aircraft mechanic.

Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Sikorsky, a subsidiary of the aerospace and defense giant Lockheed-Martin, says it has built more than 5,000 of the helicopters for 36 countries.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, a Mississippi native, was among the three crew members aboard the military helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight over the Potomac River.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves confirmed Eaves' death on Thursday.

Rep. Michael Guest also shared a tribute to Eaves late Thursday.

See a list of the victims identified so far.

Cedarville University in Ohio has confirmed student Grace Maxwell died in the mid-air collision over the Potomac River.

Maxwell, 20, was a mechanical engineering major and was gearing up to graduate in 2026. She was returning to school after attending her grandfather's funeral in Kansas.

"As you can imagine, the past 24 hours have been very difficult for the Maxwell family and the Cedarville University community," a university spokesperson said in a statement. "As a university, we do not desire to turn this tragic event into anything more than a way to honor Grace, her family, and Jesus."

Grace's father, Dean Maxwell, told The Wichita Eagle that authorities have not contacted him about his daughter yet.

“We do know she was on the plane," he told the newspaper.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for changes to military training practices following the deadly collision between an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter.

"I have not yet heard a good reason why military helicopters are doing training exercises in the same airspace as commercial airliners - at night and with peak congestion," Hawley wrote on X. "I hope these exercises in Reagan airspace will be suspended indefinitely until the investigation is complete."

GE Aerospace employee Vikesh Patel was among the victims of the deadly collision, the company announced on Friday.

“This is a tragedy not only for our industry, but also for the GE Aerospace team as one of our cherished colleagues, Vikesh Patel, was onboard the flight,” Larry Culp, Chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, said in a statement. “Our hearts are with his family and all those impacted by this horrific accident.”

See a list of the victims identified so far.

New videos, apparently captured by security cameras at Reagan National Airport and obtained by CNN, show the moment an Army Blackhawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet collided over the Potomac River.

Olympian Scott Hamilton paid a tearful tribute to the skaters, coaches and family members who died in the midair collision in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.

“To think that they’re gone, I can’t wrap my head around the last 36 hours,” the Olympic medalist said on TODAY on Friday, Jan. 31. “It’s just been devastating and the loss is just beyond description, and my heart is shattered.”

See Hamilton's full interview with TODAY here.

National Transportation Safety Board officials did not say Thursday how long the investigation would take, but accident investigations often take between one to two years to complete.

The agency typically releases a preliminary report within a few weeks of the accident that includes a synopsis of information collected at the scene.

For the investigation into Wednesday's crash, the NTSB will establish several different working groups, each responsible for investigating different areas connected to the accident, board member Todd Inman said.

Forty-one bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of the plane and helicopter crash in the Potomac River, D.C. Fire and EMS said.

Recovery operations were due to restart after sunrise this morning. The National Transportation Safety Board is due to join.

Everyone copes with trauma and tragedies differently. Psychiatrist Dr. Aeva Gaymon Doomes suggested how to take care of yourself and others. "You can't rush anything," she said.

How can you help kids? “Provide a lot of reassurance,” Doomes said, but be clear and honest. Hear more in the video below.

Authorities were still looking for the helicopter’s black box recorder, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday on Fox News Channel. Other factors in the crash, including the helicopter’s altitude and whether the crew was using its night vision goggles, are still under investigation, Hegseth said.

The helicopter is one area of focus in the investigation.

Officials said the night was clear. A top Army aviation official said the crew of the helicopter, a Black Hawk, was “very experienced” and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around the city.

“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.

The helicopter’s maximum allowed altitude at the time was 200 feet (about 60 meters), Koziol said. It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision.

An air traffic control supervisor in the tower at Reagan National Airport let a controller leave their shift early before the deadly midair crash, a source familiar with the investigation tells NBC News.

One single controller was left to handle both plane and helicopter traffic. Typically, one controller handles planes, while another handles helicopters. It is allowable under FAA standards for one controller to perform both jobs but is considered not optimal.

Air traffic control staffing may be a “small piece” of the puzzle in determining the crash’s cause, National Transportation Safety Board member J. Todd Inman told NBC’s “TODAY” show this morning. "That is one small aspect of the overall investigation," he said, adding that having low staffing levels would not necessarily be an indication of a problem. "At times, you’ll have fluctuations of not only flights but also air traffic control.”

It's a stark juxtaposition: Inside Reagan National Airport, crowds of passengers checked bags and lined up to go through security screening. But yards away in the Potomac River, a horrific disaster scene.

Some planes leaving DCA are expected to fly over the wreckage of the plane and helicopter still in the Potomac.

The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for investigating all civil aviation accidents as well as serious incidents in the U.S. involving other modes of transportation, such as railroad disasters and major accidents involving motor vehicles, marine vessels, pipelines and even commercial space operators.

“We’re here to ensure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned in this investigation,” National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Hommendy said, noting the probe into the D.C. collision is in the very early stages. “We are going to conduct a thorough investigation of this entire tragedy, looking at the facts.”

The agency has five board members who serve five-year terms and are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

For the investigation into Wednesday's crash, the NTSB will establish several different working groups, each responsible for investigating different areas connected to the accident, board member Todd Inman said.

For more on the NTSB and its investigation into the collision, go to our full story.

Just over 24 hours before Wednesday’s fatal midair collision, a different regional jet executed a go-around maneuver when descending to land at Reagan Airport due to a military helicopter in the same area.

Flight tracking sites and air traffic control logs show the Embraer E-175 was cleared to land at the airport’s Runway 19 and advised about a helicopter in its vicinity. It executed a go-around after its automated collision avoidance system ordered what is known as a ‘resolution advisory’ to avoid nearby traffic, which put the aircraft out of proper alignment for landing. It landed safely minutes later.

The military helicopter, call sign PAT1, was advised of the descending airplane. Flight tracking sites show the plane flew roughly 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the helicopter, a normally acceptable separation.

Airline pilots are trained to respond immediately to resolution advisories, which are designed to avoid a potential mishap, but occasionally sound alarms for traffic that does not pose an immediate threat to safety.

Sixty-seven people are believed to have died after an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.

A search-and-rescue operation involving more than 300 first responders shifted to a recovery operation Thursday morning.

More than 20 victims have been identified as of Friday morning, including young figure skaters, coaches and parents.

Stay updated with our full coverage on the victims.