American Airlines engine and fuselage retrieved from the Potomac River in a bid to recover all victims of D.C. midair collision.

 Crews have started the challenging task of clearing the remaining wreckage from the crash site to recover all 67 victims from the plane and military helicopter that collided last week.

Feb. 3, 2025, 7:08 PM GMT+6 / Updated Feb. 4, 2025, 5:42 AM GMT+6

On Monday, efforts to recover the wreckage of American Airlines Flight 5432 began as the aircraft's engine and fuselage were lifted from the Potomac River. This marked the start of a complex operation to remove the last remnants of the wreckage after a military helicopter collided with the jet last Wednesday, resulting in a deadly crash.

Officials stated that the remaining wreckage must be removed to recover all 67 victims who perished in the midair collision near Washington, D.C. The recovery process began at sunrise, according to officials.

As of Sunday, 55 victims' remains had been positively identified, Washington Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said during a press conference. He emphasized, "We’re going to recover everyone," adding, "If we knew where they were, we would have already retrieved them. We still have work to do, and we will continue the search until we recover everyone." The recovery teams have been working under challenging conditions, with near-zero visibility in the murky waters.

Additional remains were discovered during Monday’s recovery operation and are being identified by the Washington chief medical examiner's office, reported Assistant Chief Gary Steen of the Washington Fire and EMS. He stated that he believes the remaining human remains are likely within the wreckage still submerged in the river.

The Army Corps of Engineers' Baltimore District is overseeing the removal of the wreckage in stages, a process expected to take three days. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attended the operation on Monday. The recovery will utilize a crane barge, deck barges, dive boats, and two surface-supplied dive systems, as confirmed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

By 10 a.m., the American Airlines engine was successfully removed from the river and placed onto a barge. The fuselage was lifted out by noon. Efforts to remove one of the plane’s wings began at 2:30 p.m., and crews are hopeful it will be removed by the end of the day. The goal for Tuesday is to extract the cockpit from the water.

Colonel Frank Pera of the Army Corps of Engineers stated that while weather conditions might impact Tuesday’s operations, the teams are on track to meet their goals. "We will monitor the winds and adapt as needed," Pera said.

The wreckage will be transported to a hangar for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to continue its investigation into the cause of the crash.

Once the American Airlines wreckage is fully removed, the focus will shift to the recovery of the Black Hawk helicopter. The major lift operations are expected to be completed by Saturday, with additional debris removal continuing through at least February 12. Recovery will be paused if any bodies are discovered during this process.

Col. Francis Pera of the Army Corps of Engineers praised the coordination of the operation, stating, "The level of coordination has been exceptional. Our focus remains on the safety of the recovery teams and ensuring that we account for all the missing to provide closure for their families."

The timeline for recovery is subject to the availability of lifts, weather conditions, and tidal movements.

Meanwhile, NTSB investigators have gathered flight training logs and data from both aircraft to piece together a timeline of the crash. They are also analyzing synchronized data from flight recorders, voice recordings, air traffic control communications, and radar data. The NTSB aims to release a preliminary report within 30 days, which is expected to include the likely cause of the collision.