The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it can’t speculate about the cause of a fatal midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and U.S. military helicopter on Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C.

“Our mission is to understand not just what happened but why it happened,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, who was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve a five-year term in 2021, said during a press briefing.

J. Todd Inman, a member of the NTSB board, said the agency’s goal is to issue a preliminary report within 30 days, and a final report will be issued “once we’ve completed all of our fact-finding and investigation.”

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