U.S. President Donald Trump has weighed in on the devastating mid-air collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane, calling it a “bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.”
The tragedy occurred early Thursday morning when American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet en route to Washington, D.C., collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. The crash resulted in significant casualties, with at least 18 bodies recovered as of Thursday morning, according to CBS News.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the collision happened shortly after air traffic controllers instructed the passenger jet to land on the shorter Runway 33. Reports indicate that the helicopter crew had visual contact with the jet moments before impact but failed to maintain safe separation, leading to the fatal crash.
The U.S. Army confirmed that the Black Hawk was conducting a routine training flight with three soldiers onboard, all of whom are presumed to have perished. The passenger jet carried 60 passengers and four crew members.
The collision triggered an extensive search-and-rescue operation involving over 300 emergency responders. Rescue boats scoured the Potomac River while all air traffic at Reagan National Airport was suspended indefinitely. Authorities described the situation as “highly complex,” with ongoing efforts to recover additional victims and potential survivors.
Air traffic control recordings captured the tense moments before the collision, with controllers repeatedly instructing the helicopter to maintain a safe distance from the approaching jet. Witnesses from nearby aircraft described seeing flares and debris scattering across the river as the accident unfolded.
Reacting to the tragedy, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to express his concerns:
“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?”
He added: “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collision, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) working to determine the exact cause of the tragedy. The aviation community awaits further updates as officials continue to analyze flight data and air traffic communications.