After airplane, helicopter collide and crashed, President Trump breaks silence

• President Donald Trump questioned the actions of both the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers before a deadly mid-air collision near Reagan Washington National Airport
• The crash involved an American Airlines aircraft carrying 64 people and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter with three on board, with all feared dead
• The Pentagon has launched an investigation into the incident, while emergency responders continue their search efforts

President Donald Trump has questioned the actions of both the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers prior to a deadly mid-air collision on Wednesday night outside Reagan Washington National Airport.

The crash involved an American Airlines aircraft carrying 64 passengers and crew and a US Army Black Hawk chopper carrying three people... Continue reading here ▶

After Airplane, Helicopter Collide Mid Air and Crashed, President Trump Breaks SilenceSource: Getty Images

All those on board are feared dead, though officials said they would not be able to provide confirmation on the status of rescue efforts until Thursday morning.

President Trump’s word on Truth Social

Mr Trump said he had been briefed on the “terrible accident” in a brief official statement offering prayers for those on board. However, he then took to his Truth Social platform to speculate about what caused the crash.

“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,” Mr Trump said in his first remarks on Truth Social.

He said the crash could have been prevented. “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 US president said.

Senator Roger Marshall’s Remarks

The American Airlines flight originated from Kansas, and while officials have not yet confirmed any deaths in the incident, they stated that an update on the rescue effort would be provided in the morning.

US senator Roger Marshall of Kansas suggested that all on board both aircraft had died. “It’s really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously,” he said at a news conference at Reagan airport. “When one person dies, it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow,” the senator said. “It’s a heartbreak beyond measure.”