Almost 16 years passed from the deadly regional jet crash of 2009 near Buffalo that killed all 50 people aboard before the devastating collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines flight over Washington. An American Airlines flight crashed into the Potomac River after it had collided with the military helicopter that was carrying three people; on board the plane were 64 passengers and 4 crew members.
Currently, approximately 300 first responders are searching in the icy waters of the Potomac. At least 18 fatalities have been confirmed, and no survivors have been recovered from the river. Operations at Reagan National Airport have been suspended.
In the midst of rescue operations, aerial photos of the wreckage are all over the internet. They depict the destroyed remains of the DC-bound American Airlines flight where the fuselage is barely identifiable.
One picture even shows parts of the plane broken.
US President Donald Trump, who was updated on the same, also went on to tweet his condolences and thanks to the first responders. He wrote, “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump further elaborated, saying, “The aeroplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the aeroplane for an extended period of time. It is a clear night, the lights of the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn.”. Why could not the control tower have told the helicopter what to do instead of asking whether they saw the plane? This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. Not Good!