Officials have retrieved the cockpit voice recorder, commonly known as the black box, from the helicopter involved in the plane crash that claimed the lives of 67 individuals at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday.
Emergency responders are set to intensify their efforts this weekend to clear the debris from the crash site.
An American Airlines flight with 64 passengers on board collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers.
Following concerns about airspace congestion, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed restrictions on helicopter traffic around the airport.
By Friday, 28 crash victims had been identified, and 41 bodies had been recovered from the water. The remaining bodies are expected to be found once the plane is raised from the riverbed.
The data from the recorders will be retrieved "very soon" after the black boxes are dried out, as stated by National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman.
Salvage operations, primarily managed by the US Navy, will commence on Saturday to lift the wreckage from the water, allowing divers to access specific parts of the aircraft.
Authorities aim to survey the debris in the river to better comprehend the aircraft's response to the collision.
The meticulous process of using cranes to extract large segments of the aircraft from the water will initiate on Sunday and continue throughout the following week.
More than 500 individuals have been working tirelessly at the crash site in the Potomac River, as reported by Washington DC fire chief John Donnelly.
Officials plan to review the activities of an air traffic controller responsible for helicopters and airplanes in the area leading up to the crash.
As investigations continue, Mr. Inman emphasized the importance of uncovering the facts and preventing similar tragedies from occurring in the future, despite unsubstantiated claims made by President Donald Trump regarding the incident.