Trump: DC Plane Crash Could Have Been Prevented
The US President said the tragedy was caused by human error.
US President Donald Trump has said the collision between a US Army helicopter and a civilian plane that killed 67 people could have been prevented, questioning the actions of air traffic controllers.
Earlier, on the evening of January 29 (US time), an H-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided with flight 5342 as the passenger plane was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Rescue teams have yet to find any survivors from the frozen Potomac River, which flows right next to the US capital's airport.
"The night was CLEAR, the lights on the plane were bright, why didn't the helicopter go up, down, or turn?", Mr. Trump posted on his TruthSocial platform on the morning of January 30.
The US President also questioned why air traffic control did not instruct the helicopter crew what to do.
"This is a terrible situation, it looks like it could have been prevented. NOT OK!!!" - Trump emphasized.
At 9 p.m. local time, the time of the crash, the airport reported clear skies, 10 miles of visibility, and winds from the northwest. The air temperature was 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but parts of the Potomac River were still frozen due to a previous cold snap.
The passenger plane was a Bombardier CRJ700 operated by PSA, a subsidiary of American Airlines. The flight from Wichita, Kansas, was in the process of landing on runway 33 with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, according to a statement from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Among the passengers were several athletes, coaches and family members returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Wichita.
Nearly 300 rescue workers were deployed to search for survivors in the rubble, but as of the morning of January 30 (local time), no one had been found alive. The search quickly shifted from rescue to body collection.
