Salvage crews recover part of plane in fatal Washington crash

Salvage crews on Monday recovered part of the fuselage of a passenger plane that plunged into the Potomac River last week after colliding with a US Army helicopter, killing 67 people.

A large crane assisted by a smaller one gingerly pulled the twisted wreckage of the Bombardier CRJ-700 operated by American Eagle airlines out of the water and placed it on a barge.

An engine from the regional passenger jet was also recovered from the icy waters.

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Sixty passengers on the plane and four crew members were killed in Wednesday's accident along with three soldiers aboard the US Army Black Hawk helicopter.

Fifty-five bodies have been recovered and identified so far, according to local authorities, who have expressed confidence they will locate all of the victims.

"We will absolutely stay here and search until such point as we have everybody," Washington fire chief John Donnelly said Sunday.

The plane was on a flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington when the collision occurred.

President Donald Trump was quick to blame diversity hiring policies for the accident although no evidence has emerged that they were responsible.

According to US media reports, the control tower at the busy airport may have been understaffed at the time of the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to compile a preliminary report within 30 days, although a full investigation could take a year.