Investigators looking at black boxes as restrictions placed on helicopterspublished at 00:24 Greenwich Mean Time 1 Februarypublished at 00:24 1 February
With the bodies of 26 victims of Wednesday's fatal crash near Washington DC's Ronald Regan airport as yet unfound, both the recovery efforts in its aftermath and the investigation into its causes are ongoing.
Here's a quick look at what we've learned about both today:
- Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said late on Friday they have recovered the black box from the downed helicopter, adding that it is safely at NTSB headquarters and will begin evaluation
- Todd Inman of the NTSB refused to say whether there had been staffing shortages within air traffic control during the fatal incident, adding "the controller working at the time has been interviewed, and his interviews are ongoing"
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has restricted helicopter traffic around the Reagan airport, amid concerns from officials about overcrowding in the airspace overhead
- Officials say the bodies of 41 of the victims have been found, with 28 people having been "positively identified" so far
- The rest of the bodies will not be found until officials are able to hoist the plane off the riverbed, Washington DC Fire Chief John Donnelly told reporters at a news conference earlier today
- Adverse weather in Washington DC is slowing recovery, but officials say that they can continue to work in these conditions
- Over 300 people are searching the wreckage, with more assistance - including Coast Guard ships and salvage equipment - expected to arrive on Saturday