New York [US], February 1: U.S. authorities restricted helicopter flights near Reagan Washington National Airport indefinitely on Friday, after a midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter killed 67 people.
Officials said that 41 of the victims' bodies had been recovered by Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration restricted helicopter flights to reduce the risk of another collision as crews worked to pull the wreckage of America's deadliest air disaster in two decades from the Potomac River.
An FAA official told Reuters the agency was barring most helicopters from parts of two routes near the airport and only allowing police and medical helicopters in the area between the airport and nearby bridges, pending a complete evaluation. It was not clear how long those restrictions would last.
Washington, D.C., Fire Chief John Donnelly told reporters that 28 of the bodies recovered so far have been positively identified.
Donnelly said moving the plane's submerged fuselage should improve access to more bodies.
Terry Liercke, vice president of Reagan National, said two of the airport's three runways were expected to remain closed for a week. The main runway at Reagan handles about 90% of flights and is the busiest single runway in the United States.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
