Trump questions Army chopper's role in fatal collision for flying in path of American Airlines plane
WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump said Thursday the Army helicopter pilot in the fatal crash Wednesday near Reagan National Airport should have seen the approaching American Airlines flight and avoided it.
“For some reason, you had a helicopter that was at the same height and going at an angle that was unbelievably bad when the air traffic controller said, 'Do you see − he was talking about − do you see him?'" Trump said from the White House briefing room. “You had a pilot problem from the standpoint of the helicopter because it was, it was a very clear night."
Trump said the helicopter should have been flying at a different elevation.
"The people in the helicopter should have seen where they were going," Trump said. "What was the helicopter doing in that track? Very sad. But visually, somebody should have been able to see and taken that helicopter out of play and the should have been at a different height."
Trump said the National Transportation Safety Board and military investigators would determine the precise causes of the crash that killed 67 people − 64 on the plane and three in the helicopter. Typically investigators avoid drawing conclusions until after examining flight-data recorders nicknamed "black boxes," interviewing witnesses and scrutinizing equipment.
“We’ll find out how this disaster occurred and we’ll make sure it never happens again," Trump said.
Trump also criticized the Obama and Biden administrations − singling out former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg − for what he argued was lowering the standards for air-traffic controllers to consider diversity, equity and inclusion in hiring. The president didn't provide any evidence to back up his claims, and he also didn't say when the air traffic controllers involved in the crash were hired, nor did he specify their race or gender.
During his remarks, Trump also said he didn't fault the controllers working the night of the crash.
"Their policy was horrible and their politics was even worse," Trump said. “You need a very special talent and very special genius to do it."
But Trump said he wasn't blaming the controllers on duty.
"I’m not blaming the controller," Trump said. "I’m saying there are things you can question."
Trump also said he had named Christopher Rocheleau as acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Officials believe there are no survivors after a passenger plane with 64 people aboard crashed into an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport and fell into the frigid Potomac River.
The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land and collided in midair with the Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three people.
Authorities said nobody in the plane or helicopter was expected to have survived the crash. DC Fire Chief John Donnelly said early Thursday morning that 28 bodies − 27 from the plane and one from the helicopter − have been recovered and authorities were searching for the rest.
Soon after Trump's press conference concluded, Buttigieg replied in a post on X that he put safety first and drove down close calls with no commercial airline fatalities while he led the Transportation Department until earlier this month.
“Despicable,” Buttigieg said of Trump’s comments, adding: “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying.”
Buttigieg said one of Trump’s first actions was to fire and suspend key personnel who help keeps the skies safe.
“Time for the President to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again,” he said.
Before describing reasons for the accident and blaming his predecessors, Trump asked a moment of silence and commended the first responders.
He later singled out the loss of Russians he called "talented figures" among foreign nationals on the flight, and said he would help repatriate their remains.
"Our hearts are shattered alongside yours," Trump said.
Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the crashed plane, according to the TASS news agency.
Reagan National Airport resumed flights at 11 a.m. Thursday. More than 500 flights to and from the airport were canceled, according to FlightAware.