Black boxes recovered from plane crash that happened one week after Trump gutted aviation security committee

The black boxes from the crashed plane near Washington have been recovered.

The National Transportation Safety Board says the cockpit voice and flight data recorders are being examined.

American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 collided mid-air with an Army Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday.

The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew, while the helicopter had three soldiers on board.

Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River.

Authorities have confirmed that there are no survivors.

A New York Times report reveals that air traffic control staffing was below normal.

Citing a preliminary safety report by the Federal Aviation Administration on the collision, it said a single controller was handling communications for both helicopters and planes.

This task is usually divided between two people.

Last week, just days after his inauguration, President Donald Trump eliminated the membership of a key committee that handles aviation security. 

The Aviation Security Advisory Committee’s members received a memo from the Trump administration on January 22. 

It said the Department of Homeland Security was getting rid of the membership of all advisory committees in a commitment to eliminating what it called “the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security.” 

Trump also simultaneously fired the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard.