A commercial American Eagle plane preparing to land at Reagan National Airport collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, resulting in one of the most tragic aviation disasters in recent U.S. history.
"Both aircraft crashed instantly and were immediately submerged in the icy waters of the Potomac River. This is a real tragedy. A massive search and rescue mission was underway throughout the night, leveraging every asset at our disposal. The work has now shifted to a recovery mission. Sadly, there are no survivors," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at a White House news conference.
The incident occurred just before 9 PM on Wednesday. The American Airlines regional jet, an American Eagle flight carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which had three military service members aboard, over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. Both aircraft were on their final approach to Reagan National Airport at the time of the crash.
The American Eagle flight was coming from Wichita, Kansas. Washington D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly reported Thursday morning that rescue teams had recovered 27 bodies from the plane and one from the helicopter.
President Trump confirmed that nationals from other countries, including Russia, were among the victims. "We have a Russian contingent, some very talented people, unfortunately, on that plane. Very, very sorry about that," he said, adding that the U.S. is in contact with Russian authorities to repatriate the bodies.
"We've also been in touch with other countries. We'll be making announcements shortly. We've spoken to most of the affected nations, but there are others involved," Trump continued. "We are one family, and today, we are all heartbroken. We are all searching for answers. The icy Potomac was cold that night, and we are overcome with grief for those who tragically perished."
While the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, President Trump suggested there may have been issues with the helicopter's elevation. "We don't know exactly what led to the crash, but we have some strong theories. From my perspective, there was an elevation issue with the helicopter," Trump said. "There’s never going to be a tragedy if the planes and helicopters are at different elevations. They were at the same level, and that’s where the problem arose."
Trump also addressed air traffic safety, blaming the previous Obama and Biden administrations for changes to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). "I changed the Obama-era standards from mediocre to extraordinary. Only the highest aptitude, the highest intellect, and psychologically superior people were allowed to qualify as air traffic controllers," he said. "When I left office and Biden took over, he reversed those standards, lowering them significantly. I put safety first, while Obama, Biden, and the Democrats prioritized politics, which led to poor policy decisions."
Trump criticized the lack of awareness regarding the helicopter's position during the crash. "The American Airlines flight was following a standard track, but what was the helicopter doing in that path? Somebody should have been able to see it and take action to avoid the collision. It’s incredibly sad, but that’s what happened," he stated.
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