US President Donald Trump, in a seemingly odd remark, said on Thursday that the crash between a US Army helicopter and a passenger jet near the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC "should have been prevented."
An American Airlines plane (5342) carrying 64 people crashed into the nearby Potomac River after a midair collision with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The flight was headed for a landing at the airport - just 5 km from the White House.
Trump said he's been briefed on "terrible accident" at DC's Reagan National Airport, and said that "May God Bless their souls", according to AP.
"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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
BREAKING: Post by President Trump regarding plane crash pic.twitter.com/iTDI1AyGUjThe Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) January 30, 2025
"This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented," Trump wrote, adding: "NOT GOOD!!!"
At least 18 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River so far by emergency services following the crash, a police official said, according to CBS News. No survivors have been found yet.
Meanwhile, the US military has said that three soldiers were on the helicopter that was on a training mission. Following the crash, a massive search operation has been launched in the Potomac River, with freezing temperatures hindering rescue.
The FBI and other agencies are investigating the reason behind the crash.
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