Washington, Jan 30 As the death toll from the deadly plane crash in Washington continues to rise, US President Donald Trump said that the accident "should have been prevented" and questioned why the authorities failed to inform the helicopter to divert its route.
A mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Washington's Reagan National Airport has claimed at least 18 lives, as rescue teams continue to search for survivors. The crash involved American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk military helicopter.
Taking to his social media platform 'Truth Social', Trump posted, "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," he wrote.
"What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!" Trump said in another post.
The military helicopter was carrying three soldiers when it collided with the regional passenger jet, which had 60 passengers and four crew members on board while approaching the airport for landing. No survivors have been found so far.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the collision occurred around 9 pm local time Wednesday. All takeoffs and landings at the airport were halted while emergency teams worked at the crash site.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon and the Army had launched an immediate investigation into the crash. Calling the incident "absolutely tragic," he said that search and rescue efforts were still ongoing and offered prayers for the victims and their families.
Earlier, in an statement issued by the White House, Trump expressed concern over the accident. He said he had been fully briefed on the situation, thanked the first responders for their efforts, and assured that he was monitoring the developments closely.
The FAA confirmed that a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines, was on approach to Runway 33 when it collided midair with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the cause of the accident.
Emergency response teams, including the Metropolitan Police Department and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, were swiftly deployed to conduct search and rescue operations. Boats are actively scanning the Potomac River, searching for potential survivors.
Reagan National Airport posted an update on X, confirming that all takeoffs and landings had been halted and that emergency personnel were responding to the incident. The airport terminal remained open, and further updates were promised.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to carry out their duties effectively. Multiple agencies are coordinating efforts to manage the crisis and provide assistance. Rescue operations are ongoing, and further updates are awaited.
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