Army prepares to lift plane from the Potomac as officials vow to recover all victims


The complex work of lifting flight 5432 of the Potomac River will begin on Monday, with local and state officials that promise that they will recover the 67 victims who died when the plane crashed into a military helicopter last Wednesday.

Until now, 55 victims have been recovered. The head of DC Fire and EMS, John Donnelly, said at a press conference on Sunday: “We are going to recover everyone.”

“However, if we knew where they were, we would already have them, so we have some work to do as the rescue operation progresses, and we will stay here and look to such an extent as we have everyone,” he added. Recovery workers have been fighting difficult conditions with visibility close to zero in dark waters.

The US Army Corps. UU., The Baltimore district plans to lift the remains of the river plane in stages, a process that is expected to last for three days.

The remains of the airplanes on the Potomac River on January 30.Coast Guard of the United States through Getty Images

The operation will use a crane bar, deck barges, diving ships and two diving systems supplied by the surface, the army said in a statement.

The remains will be taken to a hangar so that the National Transportation Board continues to investigate the cause of the collision.

Then, the recovery teams will focus their attention on the remains of the Black Hawk helicopter. The portion of “large elevators” of the operation is expected to end before Saturday, with the authorization of other debris that last until at least February 12. An automatic stop will be ordered in this work when a body is discovered.

“The level of coordination both behind the scene and the Potomac is exceptional,” said Baltimore District, Colonel Francis Pera. “We will not lose the focus of what is most important: the safety of our teams and the accounting of those who are still losing to close their families and loved ones.”

However, the recovery timeline depends on the availability of elevators, as well as weather and tides.



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