*

FAA imposes helicopter flight restrictions near Washington

Reagan Airport

*

NTSB investigates prior near-miss incidents involving

helicopters and airplanes

*

American Airlines ( AAL ) CEO praises FAA's helicopter traffic

limitations near Reagan

(Adds details and background in paragraphs 3-10)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Washington, D.C. officials

have now positively identified 66 of the 67 people killed in

Wednesday's midair collision between an American Airlines ( AAL )

passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac

River.

A joint statement from agencies said on Tuesday all 67

bodies have been recovered. Work continues by the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers to remove the airplane wreckage from the

Potomac River near Washington Reagan National Airport. Officials

plan to begin removing the helicopter wreckage on Wednesday.

In the aftermath of the crash, the Federal Aviation

Administration has imposed significant restrictions on

helicopter flights around Reagan National and two of the

lesser-used runways remain closed.

American Airlines ( AAL ) CEO Robert Isom spoke to President Donald

Trump on Monday, according to an email sent to employees on

Tuesday, adding the president offered condolences for crew

members, passengers and their loved ones.

"President Trump also made clear that aviation safety is a

priority for his administration," Isom added in his note.

Isom praised the FAA for "limiting helicopter traffic near"

Reagan.

The National Transportation Safety Board has completed

interviews with air traffic controllers and obtained training

and flight logs for both flight crews and maintenance records

for both aircraft.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told Reuters on Monday the NTSB

plans to look at prior near-miss incidents between helicopters

and airplanes around Washington Reagan and could expand the

investigation "to other areas where there's military helicopter

and air traffic."

Investigators from the NTSB said on Saturday they had

determined that the CRJ-700 airplane that had departed from

Wichita, Kansas, was flying at an altitude of 325 feet (99

meters), plus or minus 25 feet, at the time of impact.

The detail suggests that the Army Black Hawk helicopter was

flying above 200 feet (61 meters), the maximum altitude for the

route it was using.

Data confirmed that the air traffic controller alerted the

helicopter to the presence of the CRJ-700 about 2 minutes before

the collision.