The United States is reeling from the aftermath of the deadly Washington DC plane crash that took the lives of 67 people. After relentless rescue operations, at least 28 bodies have been recovered from the plane and the Black Hawk helicopter which crashed into the Potomac River.

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Big question: What led to the crash?

Almost everyone is weighing in on the cause of the crash. According to officials and aviation experts, a series of critical air safety lapses and last-minute errors led to the devastating midair collision over the Potomac River. But before we get into the blame game, let's understand what happened.

Also read: 'Helicopter knew there was a plane': Trump, US transportation secretary say deadly Washington DC crash was ‘preventable’

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Washington DC plane crash: What happened?

Late on Wednesday night, American Airlines Flight 5342, travelling from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the U.S. Army. The crash happened just 400 feet above the Potomac River, close to Washington, DC.

The Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, exploded on impact, breaking into three parts as it neared Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This tragedy marks the deadliest air disaster in the US since 2001 and the first fatal crash involving an American airliner in nearly 15 years.

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Rescue teams worked through the night to recover bodies from the freezing waters of the Potomac. Officials confirmed that no one survived.

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Miscommunication and operational failures

Investigations suggest that miscommunication and operational failures played a significant role in the collision.

According to an initial Federal Aviation Administration report, cited by the New York Times, the Associated Press and others, staffing levels were “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic”.

According to the report, at the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was handling the workload of two people, despite ongoing concerns over staffing shortages, burnout, and stress among Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees.

Prior warnings

Radio transmissions from Wednesday night indicate that the controller warned the helicopter about its proximity to the incoming CRJ700. The Black Hawk pilot heard the warning but, according to experts, may have mistaken a different aircraft for the approaching American Airlines jet. Believing he needed to evade a similar model jet taking off elsewhere, he failed to spot Flight 5342 until it was too late.

Also read: Trump raps Biden, Obama for hiring 'mediocre staff' after Washington DC plane crash, confirms 'no survivors'

Dangerously tight airspace

The Black Hawk, with three crew members on board, had taken off from Langley, Virginia. As per experts cited by the New York Post, it was flying at an altitude of approximately 400 feet when it struck the descending jet, which had been cleared for landing.

The airspace around Reagan National Airport is tight, with only 50 feet separating the highest altitude allowed for helicopters from the lowest permitted altitude for descending aircraft. “That leaves almost no margin for error,” former American Airlines pilot John Wright, who previously flew in the Washington, DC area told the New York Post.

During a press briefing on Thursday, President Donald Trump said he believed that the crash "looks like it should have been prevented." He placed blame on past Democratic administrations, claiming that they had lowered hiring standards for air traffic controllers.

Also read: What we know about Washington DC plane crash, deadliest US air tragedy in nearly 24 years

“The FAA diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing,” Trump remarked. However, he admitted that he was unsure who was directly responsible for the disaster.

Investigation underway; preliminary report expected within 30 days

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has said that it is “too early to tell” whether the crash resulted from human or mechanical error. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.

As investigations continue, grieving families and aviation authorities are demanding answers to prevent another tragedy of this scale.

(With inputs from agencies)