Horror struck the nation's capital this week when an American Airlines plane collided with an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport.

While it remains unclear as to exactly what caused the tragedy, two newly recovered black boxes may provide some details.

National Transportation Safety Board reviewing boxes

According to the Independent, a flight data recorder (FDR) as well as a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) belonging to the American Airlines plane are being analyzed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

NTSB investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane involved in yesterday’s mid-air collision at DCA. The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation. pic.twitter.com/IHypR0Jh76

— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) January 31, 2025

The NTSB's website explains that a CVR "records radio transmissions and sounds in the cockpit, such as the pilot's voices and engine noises" while an FDR "monitors parameters such as altitude, airspeed and heading."

The website notes how in the event of an accident, "both recorders are immediately removed from the accident site and transported to NTSB headquarters in Washington D.C. for processing."

Report claims irregularities in air traffic control staffing

Meanwhile, The New York Times claims to have obtained an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety report regarding the collision.

It purportedly states that air traffic control staffing at Ronald Reagan National Airport "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic."

What's more, the document asserts that the air traffic controller in charge of helicopters was also giving instructions to planes which were landing at and departing from the airport.

The Times noted that such jobs are typically assigned to two separate controllers as increased workload can lead to mistakes and confusion.

An Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan which was submitted to Congress this past September acknowledged that staffing at Reagan National Airport was one-third below target level.

Trump wants "competent people, no matter what race they are"

Meanwhile, The Hill reported that during a press conference one day after the crash, President Donald Trump suggested that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies may have been a factor, remarking, "It may have, I don’t know."

President Trump takes executive action on aviation DEI, appointing FAA lead in wake of DCA crash https://t.co/tL9WXmgjf0

— The Hill (@thehill) January 30, 2025

"We want the most competent people, no matter what race they are," Trump said of his staffing priorities. "If they don’t have a great brain, a great power of the brain, they’re not going to be very good at what they do."