Arlington. Police boats returned to the Potomac River on Friday as recovery efforts continued following a midair collision that claimed 67 lives, marking the deadliest US aviation disaster in nearly 25 years.

More than 40 bodies have been recovered from the river so far, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.

Investigators have retrieved the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the American Airlines plane involved in the collision with an Army helicopter Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan National Airport. National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Hommendy has described the investigation as an "all-hands-on-deck event," with officials examining factors including the actions of the military pilot and air traffic control.

All 64 passengers and crew on the plane, as well as three soldiers aboard the helicopter, were killed in the crash. Federal investigators said Thursday that air crash investigations typically take months and declined to speculate on the cause.

Authorities are still searching for the helicopter’s black box recorder, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on Friday. Other aspects under scrutiny include the helicopter’s altitude and whether its crew was using night vision goggles.

Military aircraft frequently conduct flights around the nation’s capital to rehearse emergency relocation scenarios in case of a catastrophe or attack, Hegseth explained. While such exercises are vital, he emphasized the importance of mitigating risks. "You need to train as you fight," he said, adding, "We must ensure that, day or night, we can respond to real-world events."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the role of air traffic control in the collision. A single controller was responsible for managing both helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes at the time, a task normally split between two people. An internal FAA report revealed the tower supervisor had combined the roles earlier than usual due to slowing traffic.

"The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic," the report stated.

Despite these findings, a person familiar with the matter maintained that tower staffing that night was standard. Controllers often combine roles during low-traffic periods or for breaks and shift changes, the individual said on condition of anonymity.

The FAA has long struggled with air traffic controller shortages, an issue frequently cited as a safety concern.

The American Airlines jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, with several notable passengers on board, including elite figure skaters, their families, and union steamfitters from the Washington area.

The Army helicopter, a Black Hawk, was flown by an experienced crew familiar with the congested airspace around the capital, according to Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation. He noted that the helicopter’s maximum altitude limit was 200 feet at the time of the crash, but whether it exceeded that height remains under investigation.

President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social, alleging the helicopter was flying "too high" and exceeding its altitude limit. Trump also blamed diversity initiatives for compromising air safety, a claim unsubstantiated by investigators.

Flights at Reagan National Airport resumed Thursday afternoon.

The collision is the deadliest aviation accident in the US since November 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed into a residential area in New York, killing 260 people onboard and five on the ground.

Despite such tragedies, experts emphasize the overall safety of air travel. The National Safety Council estimates the risk of dying in a car crash is 1 in 93, while airplane fatalities are so rare they are difficult to calculate statistically.

However, the airspace around Reagan National presents unique challenges for pilots. They must navigate busy commercial routes, military operations, and restricted areas near sensitive sites. Just 24 hours before the crash, another regional jet was forced to go around after encountering a military helicopter in the same airspace.

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