New Video of D.C. Plane Crash Shows Final Seconds Before Black Hawk Helicopter Collided with American Airlines Flight
New footage has emerged of the mid-air collision between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport.
The first clip, shared by CNN and obtained by PEOPLE, showed one aircraft entering the screen from the left side a second before it collided with another aircraft that appeared to be approaching the camera head-on.
Suddenly an explosion occurs, causing a bright ball of yellow light to light up the night sky. The remnants of the two aircraft can then be seen plummeting into the Potomac River below.
The aircraft approaching from the left was the Black Hawk helicopter, and the one traveling directly toward the camera was the American Airlines plane, according to CNN.
Another new angle, also shared by CNN and obtained by PEOPLE, offered a clearer view of the collision.
Miles O’Brien, an aviation analyst for CNN, said the Black Hawk helicopter did not appear to be taking evasive action in the seconds before the crash.
He also noted that air traffic controllers had warned the helicopter crew about the oncoming plane, which the crew acknowledged. “The question is … when they saw the traffic, what did they see?” he pondered.
As of early Friday, Jan. 31, more than 40 bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River following the crash, according to the Associated Press and NBC News.
Authorities do not believe there will be any survivors of the crash, which occurred the night of Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Many of the victims have been identified, including several members of the U.S. Figure Skating community, members of the Wichita, Kan. community, and more.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The preliminary investigation into the crash will take about 30 days, but it could take a year or more for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine the final probable cause, board member Todd Inman said Friday on Good Morning America.
“We will be on scene here doing all the recovery of the perishable evidence we need for as long as it takes,” Inman told host George Stephanopoulos.
