The black boxes for a passenger plane that hit a military helicopter above Washington DC have been found, as questions mount about staffing and close calls at the airport where the plane was landing. Normally two people manage air traffic control for helicopters and airplanes flying in the area - one of the most controlled airspaces in the world - but only one person was doing so at the time of Wednesday's crash, according to sources cited by the BBC's US partner CBS News. Officials are still investigating the cause of the incident, believed to have killed all 67 people on the two aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said a preliminary report would be issued in 30 days.

Investigators have recovered the black boxes from the American Airlines jet involved in a mid-air collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. "We are here to assure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned in this investigation," said Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chairperson. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into why the commercial airliner from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into the helicopter while making its descent into Washington, D.C. "There was some sort of an elevation issue," said Defense Department Secretary Pete Hegseth.

BLACK boxes that could reveal crucial clues about what caused the American Airlines plane crash have been recovered. Investigators are probing how the collision that left 67 dead happened amid questions over staffing and close calls at the airport. The passenger jet and a US Army helicopter plunged into the Potomac River in Washington DC on Wednesday night after crashing mid-air. Divers dredged up two black boxes from the passenger jet in the freezing water on Thursday. The boxes record flight data and what the pilots say - and could be vital in offering clues about what caused the disaster. A preliminary report is expected to be issued in 30 days, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.