American Airlines plane extraction from Potomac begins

Published February 3, 2025 8:51am ET



Salvage crews will remove the American Airlines plane from the Potomac River on Monday after it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter last week.

All 60 passengers on American Airlines Flight 5342, the four crew members, and the three passengers of the Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60 that collided with the plane are presumed dead. D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services have recovered and positively identified 55 bodies so far. The plane’s extraction is expected to recover the remaining victims.

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