Senators grill investigators on the midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk military helicopter

Investigators trying to determine what caused last week’s deadly midair collision between a US military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane near Washington, DC, briefed lawmakers Thursday on what they’ve learned after combing through data from both aircraft and air traffic control.

Investigators trying to determine what caused last week’s deadly midair collision between a US military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane near Washington, DC, briefed lawmakers Thursday on what they’ve learned after combing through data from both aircraft and air traffic control. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration spoke to the bipartisan Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Less than 5 miles away, crews kept searching the frigid waters of the Potomac River to remove pieces of wreckage from the January 29 disaster that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. After the briefing, some senators discussed questions they posed to the NTSB, but did not reveal any new significant details from the investigation. “There’s still evidence that has yet to be pulled from the water,” Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas, told reporters after the briefing. “There’s a lot more yet to be learned. But it’s clearly a thorough investigation by NTSB.” On Thursday afternoon, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the Black Hawk helicopter has been recovered from the water. Homendy said the NTSB does not currently know whether the helicopter’s ADS-B advanced surveillance technology was installed, as questions mount after Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth gave conflicting comments after the briefing.