Trump acknowledges 67 fatalities in DC plane crash, points to DEI policies
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The news: Sixty-seven people died when an American Airlines jet collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington’s Reagan National Airport and plunged into the icy Potomac River, President Donald Trump said.
The numbers: The jet was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew, while the helicopter, a UH-60 Black Hawk, carried three soldiers on a training flight. No survivors are expected.
At least 28 bodies have been recovered so far, according to media reports.
The CRJ-700, operated as American Eagle Flight 5342, was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, with US and Russian figure skaters and coaches among the passengers.
The context: The crash, which occurred in clear conditions, is among the deadliest US air disasters in decades and appears to be the most serious involving a commercial jet since at least 2009.
A data recorder has been retrieved, and investigations are underway.
President Donald Trump said the crash looked preventable. “We are in mourning,” he said from the White House. “This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions."
"We will find out how this disaster occurred and we will ensure that nothing like this ever happens again."
He used the occasion to attack diversity programs, appearing to blame DEI policies for the tragedy and accusing former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama of lowering standards for air traffic controllers. That was even as there is no evidence, at least yet, to suggest that the air traffic controllers were at fault in the crash, the NYT noted.
“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” he said. “This is a tragedy that should not have happened.”
Challenged on what evidence he had for his remarks blaming the involvement of diversity hiring, Trump said: "It just could have been," adding that it is not known yet that it's necessarily the air traffic controllers' fault.
The president also expressed his condolences for the passengers' families: "For their family members back in Wichita, Kanas, here in Washington DC and throughout the United States and in Russia - we have a Russian contingency, very talented people unfortunately were in that plane - very very sorry about that."
Reagan National Airport was temporarily closed and was scheduled to reopen at 11 am local time (3am AEST).
What they said: "At this point we do not believe there were any survivors," District of Columbia fire chief John Donnelly said at a Thursday (Friday) press conference.
"We will work to find all the bodies and reunite them with their loved ones," he said.
In a social media post, President Trump said: “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. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
The sources: The New York Times , Associated Press
