Salvage barges are en route to the scene of between a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 aeroplane and a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The aim is to expedite the return of remains to families by working 'with the coroner's office', as revealed in an NTSB press conference.

with salvage operations still underway. CNN reports that so far, 41 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, with around 28 identified.

National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman announced at the conference that the barges, due to arrive from VA beach tomorrow morning, will undertake the 'main lifting' and work closely with the DC coroner's office for 'immediate identification and return to their families' of any bodies retrieved from the Potomac. The cause of the catastrophic crash over the Potomac River, one of the worst disasters in recent US aviation history, has yet to be formally determined.

President Trump acknowledged it was premature to draw conclusions, urging the nation to pray for the victims yesterday - although he controversially blamed DEI efforts while aviation experts continue their investigation. Earlier reports suggested an air traffic controller had 'left work early' on the night of the devastating D.C plane disaster, reports the

Sources revealed to The that different air traffic controllers are typically assigned to manage the airspace for planes and helicopters during daytime at Ronald Reagan National Airport. However, as air traffic diminishes after 9.30pm, it's common for these responsibilities to be merged under a single controller.

On the fateful day of the crash, it's been alleged that a supervisor prematurely allowed a controller to depart from their post before this time, leading to an early consolidation of roles. This decision may have had catastrophic consequences, as American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided around 9pm on Wednesday, with both plummeting into the Potomac River.

In an unrelated tirade, former let loose on his Truth Social platform, making unfounded claims about how diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) influenced the harrowing accident that resulted in the loss of 64 passengers on the American Airlines flight and three soldiers onboard the helicopter.

Trump condemned the Black Hawk pilot on social media, erroneously attributing the collision to the helicopter's altitude. "The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit," he asserted in the Truth Social update posted on Friday.

"That's not really too complicated to understand, is it? ".

Donald Trump has faced a barrage of criticism for his "disgusting" and tone-deaf response when questioned about visiting the DC plane crash site. His reply: "What's the site? The water? You want me to go swimming? " sparked outrage online, with many slamming the president for his insensitivity towards the victims of the crash.