Officials identify 66 of 67 bodies in DC helicopter plane collision

A crane retrieves part of the wreckage from the Potomac River, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the river, by the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Officials have positively identified 66 of the 67 people killed in Wednesday's midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

A joint statement from agencies on Tuesday said all 67 bodies have been recovered. Work continues by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove the airplane wreckage from the Potomac. Officials plan to begin removing the helicopter wreckage on Wednesday.

(Reporting by David Shepardson and Jasper Ward; Editing by Leslie Adler)