Live updates: Investigators working to download data from helicopter, jet black boxes

National Transportation Safety Board investigators were working today to resolve a discrepancy between elevation readings for the Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle passenger jet involved in Wednesday night's deadly collision.

Speaking at a news conference today, board member J. Todd Inman said the Bombardier CRJ700 carrying 64 people from Wichita to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport shows an altitude of 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, "at the time of impact," according to a preliminary reading of its recovered flight data recorder.

The control tower where an air traffic controller was directing both helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft had a radar reading of roughly 200 feet for the helicopter — which was carrying three soldiers — "at the time of the accident," he said. The two collided shortly before 9 p.m., with no survivors, authorities have said.

Sean Duffy, U.S. secretary of transportation, said the airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was restricted yesterday “from helicopter travel, making sure people feel safe as they come in and out of our capital city.”

“I want Americans to feel confident in American air travel,” he said in a video message posted on X, later adding that, “We’ve had a heart-wrenching week in aviation."

Duffy said spoke to some of the family members who lost loved ones in the D.C. crash.

“Their pain is unimaginable,” he said. “I committed transparency to them. When I know information, I’m going to share it with them but also with the American people.”

He also briefly addressed the air ambulance crash in Philadelphia, saying that the FAA and NTSB are investigating and that he would share "answers" around the crash with the public once he gets them.

The U.S. Army today identified the third person on board the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over the Potomac River Wednesday as Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina.

The U.S. Army said Lobach was an aviation officer in the Army from July 2019 until last month.

Lobach's family said in a statement shared by the Army that was a certified pilot-in-command with more than 450 hours of light time. She was also a former platoon leader and company executive officer in the 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, who volunteered to work at the White House.

"Rebecca was honored to serve as a White House Military Social Aide, volunteering to support the President and First Lady in hosting countless White House events, including ceremonies awarding the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom," her family said.

Tommy Clagett’s wife, Jill Clagett, remembered him as a “devoted husband and girl dad.” Clagett, who lived in Newburg, Maryland, was a soccer coach and “standout soccer dad to every player and parent on the field.”

“To know Tommy was to love him. Tommy was a well-loved, hardworking, avid outdoorsman who was thoughtful and respectful at home and work,” she said in a statement. “Although lives all across SoMD are forever changed, as these long-time friends lived and died alongside one another, the outpouring of support echos the pride Tommy had for this community.”

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In an update today, the D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed that 42 sets of remains have been recovered from the Potomac River.

Only 38 of the remains have been positively identified by the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was briefly lifted with a crane during recovery efforts last night but it has not been removed from the river, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.

"Today, salvage crews from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving are assessing the area and preparing for the recovery of the aircraft," D.C. Fire and EMS said in the update, adding that the wreckage is not expected to be moved today. "Divers from the salvage company are surveying the wreckage throughout the day. Additional barges and equipment are expected to arrive later this afternoon."

U.S. Coast Guard personnel is also assisting in the search by securing the debris field on the river.

Some of the families of the victims of the Potomac crash are asking the media to respect their privacy, according to a statement from the City of Wichita.

The families said they have been inundated with requests for interviews "by phone, social media, and at their homes and workplaces."

"We understand and appreciate the news media’s interest in this tragic event and for their need to tell stories to their audiences. However, some victim’s families and loved ones have contacted us to ask media partners to honor and respect their privacy as much as possible," the statement read.

The U.S. Coast Guard shared pictures showing response operations underway on the Potomac River yesterday.

Coast Guard personnel in ships were securing the debris field on the river as the recovery efforts continue.

"We're throwing all that we can towards this incident, as far as resources go," U.S. Coast Guard Patrick Burkett told NBC News.

Burkett said Coast Guard personnel have been willing to do all it takes to help in the aftermath of the collision.

"They have no issues of going out there and being on the water all day, as long as it takes to try and bring some closure to the family," he said.

A MITRE Corporation employee, Kaiyan Mao, was killed in Wednesday's plane collision, according to the nonprofit, which supports multiple U.S. government agencies.

Mao joined the company's finance team in 2018, MITRE CEO Mark Peters said in a statement.

"She made a lasting impact through her contributions and consistently brought a positive attitude and enabled a culture of collaboration," Peters said. "She was known for her warmth, generosity, and enthusiasm for helping others—a presence that will be sorely missed. Our hearts are with her family and friends at this tragic time."

ASHBURN, Va. — It was the only house in the cul-de-sac with a skating rink in the backyard.

When the freeze set in, Peter Livingston would anchor two-by-fours in the ground behind the house, fill the space with water and create a rink where his figure skating daughters, Alydia and Everly, could practice their jumps and lutzes, a neighbor said.

But the real home ice for the girls was the Ashburn Ice House. Their mother, Donna Livingston, was a fixture at the early-morning practices where her daughters trained with world-class figure skaters like Inna Volyanskaya.

They were known online as “The Ice Skating Sisters,” and when they crisscrossed the country for competitions and camps in places like Boston, Seattle and Austin, Texas, their parents went with them, friends and neighbors said.

It was no different when Alydia and Everly were invited to participate in a prestigious training camp following the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

For their trip home, the four boarded American Eagle Flight 5342, which collided with a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night over the Potomac River in Washington. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash.

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The Washington Figure Skating Club and the Skating Club of Northern Virginia said in a joint statement that they are "devastated" by Wednesday's plane collision that killed several figure skaters.

"This heartbreaking accident has shaken the local skating community in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia-as well as in Boston and across the nation," the statement read. "Our hearts go out to families, friends, and loved ones mourning this unimaginable grief."

The skating clubs said they are committed to supporting the skating community during this time.

President-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers, Lindsey Fields, was onboard flight 5432 when it collided with a military jet on Wednesday, according to the association.

Fields was traveling to "advocate for excellence in life science education," the association said in a statement posted on Facebook Thursday.

"This is a tremendous loss," the statement read. "Please keep Lindsey, the other victims, and their families in your hearts."

Fields was a biology instructor at Butler Community College, according to her biography on the school's website. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Zoology from Oklahoma State University and enjoyed spending time in the outdoors with her family.

"Lindsey was a colleague, friend, and educator who dedicated her wisdom and talents to changing students’ lives every day," the school said in a statement. "We owe her much gratitude for sharing her light with us and we will forever feel this loss."

Butler Community College will be holding a moment of silence on Monday morning to honor the lives of all the victims of the Potomac plane collision.

Three Russian figure skaters died in the crash between a passenger jet and Black Hawk military helicopter, the Russian embassy said today.

"The U.S. Department of State has officially confirmed that our compatriots were among the passengers in the plane crash," it said, naming world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, and Inna Volyanskaya.

"They lived permanently in the USA and worked as coaches in American figure skating clubs," the statement added. "We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased Russian citizens."

Minister Annie Montgomery, a close family friend and mentor of crash victim Kiah Duggins, spoke to NBC News at Tabernacle Bible Church in Wichita, Kansas — the church the Duggins' family has been attending since she was a teen, and where she attended a service as recently as Sunday.

Montgomery remembered Duggins' life and personality, calling her, in one word, "beautiful."  

“I mean from the inside out, beautiful spirit, beautiful soul, beautiful person,” Montgomery said. Seeing her energy and ability to express herself eloquently upon first meeting Duggins, Montgomery said of her, “I just thought to myself, this little girl’s gonna be somebody one day,” later adding that she could have seen her being the president of the United States.

A law professor at Howard University before she died in the crash, Duggins grew up attending public high school in Wichita. She attended Wichita State University, then Harvard Law School, and had told Montgomery that she wanted to be a civil rights lawyer — something she says made her proud. 

“You can make millions of dollars as an attorney, doing different things, but she chose civil rights because she had a passion and a heart for people,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery is close with Duggins' parents and siblings — who she described as extremely well-respected and pillars of the community, wither her father being a well-known doctor. The family is struggling with the loss but they feel supported by those around them.

When asked how she is doing, Montgomery replied, “I am at a point where all I want to do is lay down and cry, you know, just crying my way through it.”

As many as 14 individuals that were members of the Ashburn Ice House and MedStar Capitals Iceplex community were killed in Wednesday's plane crash, said Rob Lorenzen, general manager of the complexes.

Lorenzen said at a news conference today that he does not have a confirmed list of names of victims, but said the 14 were made up of skaters, coaches and family members.

"This is such a terrible tragedy and so counter intuitive to the environment that we typically provide. This is an area of recreation," Lorenzen said. "People come here to have fun, relax, enjoy their children. It's an area of joy and fun and to experience the last 48 hours with none of that present has been trying."

The plane that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia this evening was carrying a child from Mexico who had undergone life-saving treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia hospital, a spokesperson said.

The Shriners spokesperson told NBC Philadelphia that the institution was "heartbroken" over the Learjet crash, in which survivors had yet to be reported among the six on board the air ambulance.

Shai Gold, a spokesperson for the flight's operator, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, told the station that the patient had come to the U.S. for “life-saving treatment” and was returning to Mexico by way of Tijuana International Airport.

“The treatment ran its course. She was ready to go home, and we were contracted to bring her back home to Mexico,” Gold said.

The hospital spokesperson said the child was traveling with her mother.

The identities of the six people on board the plane have not been publicly released. At least six others connected to the crash were injured and treated at Temple University Hospital — Jeanes Campus near Northeast Philadelphia, a spokesperson for that institution said.

Read the full story here.

Friends and family of Capt. Jonathan J. Campos, the pilot of the plane in the deadly midair collision, are paying tribute by sharing stories of his sense of humor, passion for flying and his dedication.

His uncle Hector Campos said his nephew “was a great kid."

Campos’ stepmother, Sonia Carrasquillo, asked for privacy on behalf of the family when speaking to Telemundo Puerto Rico, NBC’s sister station in the U.S. territory.

According to Hector Campos, the family was heading to Washington, D.C., on Friday.

Read the full story here.

A transgender military pilot posted a “proof of life” video Friday to refute rumors spread on social media that she was flying the helicopter that collided with a commercial jet near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night, killing 67 people.

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Jo Ellis, a Black Hawk pilot with the Virginia Army National Guard, said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.”

Several hours prior to posting the video, Ellis shared a screenshot on her Facebook account of an X post in which someone had shared two images of her and made the false claim that she was the Black Hawk pilot involved in the deadly crash.

Ellis did not immediately return a request for additional comment.

Read the full story here.

Days after the worst U.S aviation disaster in years, a small plane with six people onboard crashed near a mall in Northeast Philadelphia about 6:30 p.m. tonight, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said it could not confirm any survivors after a plane carrying four crew members, a juvenile patient and an escort crashed, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said in a statement.

The Learjet 55 departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, the FAA said. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said the plane crashed after takeoff.

The National Safety Transportation Board will lead the investigation into the crash in conjunction with the FAA, the FAA said.

Read the full story here.

Chris Collins, a Massachusetts native was among those killed in the crash, his family has confirmed. He was a “beloved husband, son, brother, and uncle.”

Collins, who was raised in North Dighton, Massachusetts is remembered as “a true adventurer with a passion for the outdoors and a lifelong love of animals.” He enjoyed traveling to such destinations as Iceland, the Great Smoky Mountains and Cape Cod, they said.

"Chris’ kindness and compassion extended to everyone, whether you were a family member, friend, or one of the many strangers he connected with during his outdoor adventures," his family said in a statement. "He will be in our hearts forever."

Salvage operations are underway in the Potomac River after this week's deadly crash, NTSB officials said this evening.

The Navy supervisor of salvage is leading the operations, and barges from Virginia Beach are expected to arrive early tomorrow, said Todd Inman, the NTSB board member on scene.

The barges will then be secured, and the salvage operations will continue — this will be the main lifting, according to Inman.

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School confirmed the death of alumna Sarah Best.

“Sarah was a brilliant, kind, and compassionate soul who touched the lives of so many," dean and Bernard G. Segal professor of law Sophia Z. Lee said. "Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and loved ones during this tragic time. As we grieve together, we hold close the memory of Sarah and the light she brought into our lives.”

Best, a Clarksville, Tennessee, native and graduate of Vanderbilt University, worked as a high school teacher and instructional coach before enrolling in Penn Carey Law, the school said.

She was an accomplished student and active in student groups, including the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the school said. After she graduated, she clerked for several courts before joining Wilkinson Stekloff LLP, the university said in its statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board has recovered the black box from the military Black Hawk helicopter, Todd Inman, NTSB board member on scene, said at an afternoon news conference.

The agency expects a "full extraction" of data from the device.

Two devices have been recovered from the passenger plane. Inman said officials expect a "full download" of information from the jet's flight data recorder, as well, but that the information will not be released immediately after it is downloaded.

The cockpit voice recorder from the jet was also recovered but had "water intrusion," which Inman said is "not uncommon."

He said officials have a "very high level of confidence" that data from the device will be recovered, just that it will take a number of steps to get there.

As federal officials continue investigating what caused the deadliest U.S. air crash in almost a quarter century, understanding what happened inside the Army Black Hawk helicopter — and exactly what altitude it was flying at when it collided with a passenger jet — will likely be key to unraveling the disaster, aviation experts say.

A pair of seasoned Army pilots were at the controls, with a third aviator seated behind them for a routine mission in clear weather on Wednesday — part of an annual evaluation to test a pilot’s knowledge and proficiency in the cockpit, officials said. The flight path, too, was a familiar one: The buzz of military helicopters is a constant above Washington, D.C.

And yet the training flight ended in a fireball in the night sky as the UH-60 Black Hawk slammed into a commercial airliner carrying 64 people, leaving no survivors.

Publicly available data reviewed by NBC News suggests the Army helicopter may have been flying too high at the time of the crash, but investigators cautioned against drawing conclusions before they’re able to analyze official flight data.

Read the full story here.

Andy Beyer lost his wife, Justyna, and their daughter, Brielle, in Wednesday's plane collision.

He remembers his 12-year-old daughter, who survived a rare cancer when she was just an infant, as "someone who was just meant to sparkle."

"And she did," Beyer said. "She was a beautiful singer, had a beautiful voice. She used to fill the house with just whatever was on her mind — Taylor Swift, and lately, 'Wicked.'"

The 12-year-old and her mother, Justyna, were in Wichita, where Brielle was completing ice skating training since last week.

"Six days was the longest we had ever been apart, and it was, it was hard," Beyer said. "I really missed them. I was really looking forward to giving them a hug."

The Federal Aviation Administration will restrict helicopter traffic around Reagan National Airport effective today, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The Pentagon has launched its own investigation into how an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger plane over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport.

Like much of the skating community, Olympic champion Brian Boitano is mourning the loss of friends and colleagues who died in this week's deadly midair plane collision.

"We are a tight-knit community, and we are all connected to each other," he said, adding that his friends were not only champion skaters and elite athletes but also great representatives for the sport who were kind and caring.

They were minutes from landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., when their plane collided with an Army helicopter over the Potomac River.

In a horrible flash captured on video and seen around the world, the fates of all 60 passengers and four crew members aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 and the three soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter were sealed.

The plane’s passengers included more than a dozen people returning from a training camp following the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, where the flight originated.

For more about the victims, read here.