New US crash clip exhibits aircraft plunging into river, Trump blames chopper’s altitude
President Donald Trump on Friday mentioned that the US Military Black Hawk helicopter concerned in Wednesday evening’s lethal mid-air collision close to Washington, DC, was “flying too excessive”, as new footage of the crash, during which 67 folks died, was shared by CNN.
“The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too excessive, by so much. It was far above the 200-foot restrict. That is probably not too sophisticated to know, is it???” Trump wrote in a publish on Reality Social.
The accident concerned American Airways Flight 5342, which was carrying 64 folks, and a Black Hawk helicopter from the twelfth Aviation Battalion primarily based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The helicopter, carrying three troopers, was on a routine flight when it collided with a passenger jet whereas the aircraft was touchdown at Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport.
The crash occurred close to an space the place US army helicopters commonly fly alongside a delegated route over the Potomac River, with an altitude restrict of 200 ft for security.
President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned why the US Military Black Hawk helicopter didn’t flip to keep away from the crash, saying the tragedy “ought to have been prevented”. The collision, which occurred simply 5 kilometres from the White Home, resulted within the deaths of 67 folks, making it the deadliest air catastrophe within the US in over twenty years.
In a publish on his Reality Social, Trump claimed the Military helicopter ought to have been capable of see the jet’s “blazing” lights and questioned the actions of air visitors controllers.
Talking to reporters, he additional criticised the helicopter crew’s situational consciousness.
“The folks within the helicopter ought to have seen the place they had been going. What was the helicopter doing on that observe? Very unhappy. However visually, someone ought to have been capable of see and brought that helicopter out of play, and they need to have been at a unique peak,” he mentioned.
Trump additionally questioned the position of the management tower within the accident, asking why they’d not directed the helicopter to keep away from the collision.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged that altitude was a key focus of the continuing investigation however mentioned no conclusions had been reached.
“We’re taking a look at altitude, and the president was clear about that: somebody was on the flawed altitude. The investigation will assist us perceive that. Was the Black Hawk too excessive? Was it on the right track? Proper now, we do not fairly know,” Hegseth informed Fox Information earlier.
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board confirmed that the Black Hawk was outfitted with a flight recorder, although it has not but been retrieved. In response to the crash, the US Federal Aviation Administration imposed an indefinite restriction on helicopter flights close to Reagan Nationwide.
With out offering proof, Trump additionally blamed range insurance policies applied beneath former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama for the crash, suggesting that hiring practices on the Federal Aviation Administration had weakened security requirements.
Talking at a White Home information convention, he mentioned, “We have no idea what led to this crash, however we now have some very sturdy opinions and concepts.”
He criticised range hiring on the FAA, stating, “We have now to have our smartest folks” as air visitors controllers. He claimed, with out citing any knowledge, that the Obama administration had decided the company’s workforce was “too white” and that range efforts had led to a decline in high quality.
When requested if range hiring prompted the crash, Trump replied, “It simply may have been.” Pressed on how he reached that conclusion, he responded, “As a result of I’ve widespread sense.”
