On Jan. 29, an American Airliners flight and an Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people involved.
The crash was the deadliest in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet crashed in a New York neighborhood, killing 265 people.
The bodies of every victim have been recovered from the Potomac river, as well as large pieces from the aircrafts themselves.
At the moment, no one is quite sure what caused the collision. President Trump has gone on record blaming the collision on inadequate computer systems used by air trafiic control. Texas Senator, Ted Cruz also weighed in, saying the pilots of the helicopter turned off their surveillance technology.
Despite these statments, the investigation is still ongoing, and the recovery of debris is an integral part of that effort.
Though large sections of both aircrafts have been retrieved, removal crews are still working to recover the rest of the aftermath.
After scanning the bottom of the Potomac, it seems only small parts of the aircrafts remain. They are expected to finish in the coming week.
Hopefully the recovery of the debris will help investigators figure out exactly what happened.
Strangely, several other crashes have also happened recently.
On Jan. 31, a medical transport plane crashed near the Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia. Six people were on the plane when it crashed in an explosion.
On Feb. 11, a small, single-person plane crashed near Hampton Airfield, New Hampshire. The pilot, the only person in the plane, ended up being alright. The whole thing was captured on camera.
On Feb. 10, a small jet owned by Vince Neil, member of the band Motley Crue, crashed into a parked plane in Scottsdale Airport, Arizona. One person died and three were seriously injured.
On Feb. 6, another small plane crashed in the Bering Sea in Alaska. All 10 of the people on the plane died and their bodies have been recovered.
So far this year, there have already been four deadly plane crashes in the U.S., with a total of 85 deaths.
The last deadly plane crash involving a U.S. airliner happened in 2009, making this string of crashes even more unprecedented.
Preliminary reports, which contain the information gathered in the initial investigation often come in 30 days after the accident.
There will not be a full picture of what happened until the final reports, which usually come in one to two years after an accident.
These gaps in time make Trump and Cruz’s comments more interesting.
On one hand, it is dishonest to try and pin an explaination on an event that is still under investigation and will be for at least a year.
On the other hand, that is a long time to wait for answers. Many people lost loved ones in these crashes, and waiting a year for answers as to why the crash happened may be difficult.
Despite their close proximity, these events are most likely unrelated, and definitive stances on what should be done should wait until the final reports come in.
In the meantime, do not take this as a reason not to fly. Statistically, flying is still very safe, and pilots are always well trained. Proceed with healthy caution, not paranoia.
