“Looks Like it Should Have Been Prevented”
President Trump is questioning the events that led up to a UH-60 Black Hawk and airplane midair crash in Washington, DC, near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. An extensive search and rescue mission is ongoing after a regional Americans Airline jet and a Black Hawk helicopter crashed over the Potomac River. Chunks of ice, frigid temperatures, and the night’s darkness are making rescue efforts difficult, according to the local fire chief.
The official statement from the White House was posted to Trump’s X account, which said, “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
A couple of hours later the president posted from his Truth Social account. Trump seems to be asking the same questions that many have on their minds.
“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!!!”
The military helicopter slammed into an American Airlines flight 5342 out of Wichita, KA sometime around 9pm. According to the airline, there were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the plane. Three were reported on the chopper. Both aircraft are still in the river at the time of this posting. Our prayers are with the victims, families, and first responders.
Update: Several champion figure skating contestants from the USA were on board flight 5342, according to a report from KAKE News. Kremlin media also reports that several Russian skaters, including 1994 Russian National pairs figure skating champions Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were on the flight. The couple moved to the US in 1998, where they began coaching after retiring from figure skating competition. Their son, Maxim competes in the men’s singles for the American team. It is not yet clear whether he was on the plane.
(Photo/Video Credit - X, Andrew Harnik - Getty Images)
