KUALA LUMPUR — US President Donald Trump said early Thursday that the mid-air collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport “should have been prevented,” foreign news agencies reported.
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn?
“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane? This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social.
The crash occurred Wednesday night when a regional passenger jet operated by American Airlines collided mid-air with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The wreckage plunged into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the collision occurred around 9 pm local time as the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 was on approach to Runway 33.
The plane, which had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, American Airlines stated.
Following the collision, recovery teams retrieved 18 bodies from the Potomac River. No survivors have been found, and rescue efforts are ongoing, according to CNN. Three soldiers were on board the Black Hawk, as reported by a US defence official.
Trump stated that he had been “fully briefed on the terrible accident” and was “monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
In a separate statement, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth noted that the Pentagon was “actively monitoring” the incident and was “poised to assist if needed.”
The FAA also confirmed that all airport takeoffs and landings had been suspended following the collision. – January 30, 2025