DC plane crash updates: Probe makes progress as crews still search for helicopter parts

WASHINGTON – Salvage crews on Friday are expected to search for additional pieces of wreckage in the Potomac River after recovering most of the debris from the horrific collision of a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that left 67 dead last week.

Since recovery operations on the river began Monday, authorities have retrieved most of the crashed jet and U.S. Army helicopter, both of which will be analyzed as part of federal authorities' probe into the cause of the deadliest aviation disaster in over two decades.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in an update Thursday evening that it is still searching for some parts of the helicopter, including the right engine and tail rotor. To assist with the operation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will fly over the Potomac at a low altitude and project a green laser onto the water’s surface to scan for debris.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced it was limiting flight arrivals at Reagan National Airport following the deadly crash. The agency had already barred most helicopter routes near the airport, which is home to the busiest runway in the U.S.

Meanwhile, more details have started to emerge about the circumstances of the crash, including that the Black Hawk had a key safety system switched off and may have been flying higher than its 200-foot flight ceiling.

FAA seeks to boost air traffic control staffing amid shortages

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Thursday that the FAA will allow air traffic controllers to work past their mandatory retirement age.

"I can offer them the chance to stay longer past the mandatory retirement age of 56, pay them more," Duffy said on Fox News, adding that the offer would "make the system safer, alleviate the pressure on the controllers."

The FAA is about 3,000 controllers short of staffing levels and nearly all control towers have staffing issues.

Helicopter had advanced safety feature turned off, lawmaker says

On Thursday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the helicopter had turned off an advanced surveillance system that is said to heighten safety and visibility by automatically sending aircraft location data to air traffic controllers, including altitude and speed.

"This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off," said Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, after a closed-door briefing from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.

The NTSB has said that data indicated the Black Hawk may have been flying above its 200-foot flight ceiling, though the agency said investigators need to access the crashed aircraft to verify the data.

Elon Musk's involvement with FAA draws criticism

Sen. Maria Cantwell penned a letter Thursday to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urging him to remove "all conflicts of interest" between the FAA and tech billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.

The Washington state Democrat cited previous feuds between SpaceX and the FAA over regulations and fines. In response to proposed civil penalties over alleged launch violations last year, Musk had said he planned to sue the agency for "regulatory overreach."

"It is a conflict of interest for someone whose company is regulated by the federal government to be involved in anything that affects his personal financial interest, his company, or his competitors," wrote Cantwell, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The letter comes after Duffy announced on X that the Department of Government Efficiency – which President Donald Trump has appointed Musk to lead – was going to "plug in to help upgrade our aviation system."

Contributing: Minnah Arshad; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DC plane crash update: Recovery nearly complete; probe makes progress