DC plane crash updates: Remains of 55 victims recovered and positively identified
All 67 people on board the plane and the helicopter were killed.
An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, with no survivors.
Sixty-four people were on board the plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas. Three soldiers were on the helicopter.
The collision happened around 9 p.m. when the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet was on approach to the airport.
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55 victims positively identified from Potomac River crash site: Fire chief
At least 55 victims have been positively identified from Wednesday night's midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter, Fire Chief John Donnelly of the Washington, D.C., Fire Department said Sunday afternoon.
Donnelly said 11 separate sets of remains were recovered from the water on Saturday but have yet to be positively identified.
"It is my belief that we're going to recover everyone," Donnelly said.
Col. Francis Pera of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, said crews are scheduled to begin lifting large pieces of the wreckage of both aircraft from the water at dawn on Monday after spending two days surveying the debris field and rehearsing how the recovery of the wreckage will go.
Pera said wreckage will be placed on flatbed trailers and taken to a nearby hanger for investigators to analyze.
Pera said that if crews come upon more human remains, the salvage teams are prepared to pause the operation to facilitate a "dignified recovery" of the victims.
Family members of victims visit scene of crash
Family members of the plane crash victims visited the crash site on Sunday morning.
Dozens of the victims' loved ones could be seen gathered by the Potomac River to commemorate the 67 people killed in the deadly midair collision last week.
Army Corps of Engineers to begin removing downed jet from Potomac on Monday
The Army Corps of Engineers has released a timeline for removing the jet and helicopter wreckage from the Potomac River.
Salvage operations are set to begin on Monday, Feb. 3, according to the tentative timeline.
“The initial focus is removal of the remnants of the regional jet, which is expected to take three days," the Army Corps of Engineers said in a news release.
After that, crews will begin work to recover the Black Hawk helicopter.
"Large lifts" are expected to be completed by Saturday, Feb. 8, after which crews will focus on clearing remaining debris with salvage baskets.
The effort is expected to be completed by Feb. 12.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Emotional NTSB investigator pleads for leaders to improve safety
NTSB investigator J. Todd Inman got emotional when asked about his interactions with the victims' families and others who have been directly impacted by the incident.
"They're all just hurt and they want answers and we want to give them answers," he said. "It's horrible. No one has to suffer this."
Inman held up a challenge coin that he had in his pocket with the inscription, "From tragedy we draw knowledge to improve the safety for us all."
"We need people to take action," he said noting hundreds of recommendations that his agency has made following several transportation-related incidents.
"Adopt the recommendation of the NTSB. You'll save lives. I don't want to meet with those parents again," Inman added.