The aircraft had flown tourists in New York City thousands of times before crashing Thursday with a Spanish family aboard. Passengers who had flown earlier that day are processing the shock.

© Adam Gray for The New York Times

His boyhood dream to be an adventurous pilot was fulfilled thanks to World War II. But, as a civilian, racial prejudice kept him out of the cockpit.

Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach’s family issued a statement that described her many achievements in the service.

The transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, said the Federal Aviation Administration had used a backup system while it addressed the problem.

Commercial planes have technology that helps prevent crashes — but it has limitations, which was highlighted by the accident in Washington.

Airlines have been increasingly outsourcing repair and upkeep work to other countries, but experts and consumer groups disagree about its impact on safety.

A former Army pilot. An aging helicopter. Furious winds. The race to put out the Eaton fire tested Los Angeles County’s night-flying firefighters like never before.

The time between when the pilot reported a bird strike and when it crashed could be key to unraveling one of the world’s worst aviation disasters in years.

It is not uncommon for planes to strike wildlife, but most episodes don’t result in deaths or serious injuries.