Overview

• A mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft, marking the deadliest U.S. air disaster in nearly 25 years.
• Recovery teams have identified 55 victims from the D.C. crash, with efforts ongoing to locate the remaining 12 bodies in the Potomac River using high-definition cameras and divers.
• Investigators are examining conflicting altitude data and cockpit recordings to determine the cause of the D.C. collision, with questions raised about air traffic control operations and pilot visibility conditions.
• In Philadelphia, a medical air ambulance transporting a pediatric patient crashed into a residential neighborhood shortly after takeoff, killing all six onboard and one person on the ground, while injuring 19 others and damaging 11 homes.
• The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting parallel investigations into both incidents, with preliminary findings expected within 30 days and full reports anticipated in a year or more.