Voice and parametric flight recorders of the American Airlines passenger jet that collided with a military helicopter near Washington, D.C., were recovered on Thursday.
The recorders were taken to the National Transportation Safety Board laboratory, which will investigate the crash. The agency promises to release preliminary findings in a month.
The crash on Wednesday night between an American Eagle aircraft and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter killed 67 people.
According to preliminary reports, understaffing in the control tower at Reagan National Airport may have played a role in the crash.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that at the time of the crash, only one dispatcher was handling arrivals and departures, as well as helicopter traffic.
The National Transportation Safety Board has begun collecting the wreckage, including parts of the helicopter, it is storing it in a hangar at Reagan Airport. Washington fire and rescue officials said their divers have surveyed all available locations and will conduct additional searches Friday to locate helicopter parts. So far, 27 bodies have been recovered from the aircraft and one from the helicopter.
