Initial Federal Aviation Administration report says roles of coordinating helicopter traffic and planes were combined

• Washington DC plane crash – latest updates

An initial Federal Aviation Administration report obtained by US media organisations said staffing levels were “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic” before a military helicopter collided with a passenger jet in the heart of Washington DC.

According to the report, the separate roles of coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes had been combined when the collision happened, the Associated Press reported. The Washington Post said two people were handling the jobs of four inside the control tower.