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An uncrewed NOAA surface vessel on the Potomac surveying the river bed for debris. Credit: John Gray/NOAA.
In the wake of the aircraft collision over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), NOAA’s National Ocean Service activated response teams to support response and recovery efforts. Tragically, the incident claimed all 67 lives aboard the two aircraft and created significant recovery and salvage obstacles due to the frigid waters and complex wreckage field.
NOAA worked alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, National Transportation Safety Board, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, and other local and federal partners to locate wreckage, support search and recovery efforts, and ensure safe navigation on the Potomac. Experts from across NOAA provided valuable data and mapping to guide divers, aid salvage crews, and keep response teams informed in challenging conditions.
NOAA’s Patuxent Navigation Response Team was on the Potomac River within hours following the request from the U.S. Coast Guard and D.C. Fire. Survey teams used multibeam and side-scan sonar technology to map the underwater debris field. Later, a second Navigation Response Team from Gulfport, Mississippi, deployed two uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to map shallower areas.
The NOAA team, which included civilian hydrographers and NOAA Corps officers, worked alongside local and federal agencies to survey both the river’s main channel and surrounding debris field. Using this data, NOAA provided a detailed sonar map of the wreckage to a GIS-based dashboard. The survey helped identify more than 50 possible targets for divers, guiding them to key wreckage locations for retrieval.
Changing currents and weather conditions add complexity to response efforts. To support divers and salvage crews, NOAA deployed a real-time currents and meteorological buoy (CURBY), which provided responders with critical information on water movements and conditions and enhanced crew safety and effectiveness.
Debris in the water posed risks to vessels. NOAA’s sonar surveys helped identify hazards and guide emergency teams in clearing the waterway. By pinpointing obstructions, NOAA supported efforts to restore safe navigation for both recovery crews and commercial traffic.
LT Carly Robbins operates a NOAA vessel surveying the Potomac River for debris in the aftermath of the collision. Credit: Robert Sobelsohn/NOAA.
NOAA responded to a request to conduct LIDAR (light detection and ranging) flights over the crash site. Using a Twin Otter aircraft piloted by NOAA Corps officers, scientists used laser pulses to accurately measure distances to objects, creating detailed three-dimensional models of surfaces.
NOAA’s Mid-Atlantic Navigation Manager was embedded at the Unified Command Center, providing expertise on what kinds of tools and resources would be most valuable. Experts were mobilized from the Office of Coast Survey, the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, and the National Geodetic Survey to aid in locating and recovering wreckage, supporting search and salvage efforts, and ensuring safe navigation in the area. Additionally, aircraft and vessels operated by NOAA Commissioned Corps officers were tasked to support NOS operations. In addition to these efforts, the Office of Response and Restoration provided marine pollution and trajectory forecast support.
NOAA routinely mobilizes our expertise and resources to support rapid response efforts like these, including the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and recent Hurricane season.
Media contact:
Jasmin Paquet-Durand Ford, National Ocean Service Public Affairs
jasmin.paquet-durandford@noaa.gov
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