Recovery crews and divers continue to search Washington's Potomac River for remains and clear wreckage from the mid-air collision of a passenger jet and US Army helicopter that killed 67 people.
A Coast Guard cutter outfitted with a crane waited by the wreckage as occasional recovery team members slipped into the water amid a group of smaller emergency boats.
No one survived the Wednesday night collision.
The remains of 42 people had been pulled from the river by Saturday afternoon, including 38 that had been positively identified, according to Washington emergency officials.
They expect to recover all of the remains, though the wreckage of the plane's fuselage will probably have to be pulled from the water to get all the bodies, officials said.
On Friday night the helicopter “was briefly stabilised with a crane to assist in recovery efforts, however, it has not been removed from the water,” the Washington Fire and EMS Department said in the statement.
The collision occurred as an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas carrying 64 passengers was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the Potomac from the nation's capital, and hit an Army Black Hawk helicopter that apparently flew into the jet's path.
The helicopter had three soldiers on board.
Army officials have said the helicopter crew was highly experienced and familiar with the congested skies around the city.
Military aircraft frequently make such flights to practice routes they would use if key government officials need to be evacuated during an attack or major catastrophe.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is scheduled to update reporters on Saturday evening.
Investigators are examining the actions of the military pilot and air traffic control.
Full NTSB investigations typically take at least a year, though investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days.
Other possible factors in the crash, including the helicopter’s altitude and whether the crew was using night vision goggles, are still under investigation, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News Channel.
Black boxes have been recovered from both aircraft.
More than 300 responders were taking part in the recovery effort at a given time, officials said.
After a rainy Friday, clear skies and warmer temperatures made for better conditions Saturday for workers in the field. Two Navy salvage barges were also expected to arrive to lift heavy wreckage.
“This is heartbreaking work,” Washington, DC Fire Chief John Donnelly Sr told reporters told reporters on Friday.
“It’s been a tough response for a lot of our people.”
In Washington, the Federal Aviation Administration heavily restricted helicopter traffic around the airport on Friday, hours after President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that the helicopter had been flying higher than allowed.
NTSB member Todd Inman told reporters that investigators had interviewed at least one air traffic controller who was working when the crash happened. He said interviews were ongoing and that it was unclear how many controllers were on duty at the time.
Investigators will also examine staffing levels, training, hiring and other factors, in addition to looking at controllers' records.
The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers.
