Following the midair crash on Wednesday night involving a passenger aircraft and a Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump posed more inquiries than there were responses in his initial social media update.
The president received an update on the incident, in which a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Eagle Flight 5342, resulting in both aircraft plunging into the icy waters of the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport, just outside the nation’s capital.
It is feared that many lives have been lost, and emergency teams worked through the night in the harsh cold to either rescue or recover the 67 people who were airborne at that moment.
Shortly after Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt verified that Trump had been informed and was observing the developments, the president turned to Truth Social to engage in speculative commentary about the event.
“The aircraft was coming in on a proper and standard approach path to the airport,” Trump stated. “The helicopter flew directly toward the airplane for an extended duration. The skies were CLEAR, the plane’s lights were shining brightly, so why didn’t the helicopter ascend or descend, or alter its course? Why didn’t the control tower instruct the helicopter on what actions to take instead of merely asking if they spotted the aircraft?”
“This is a troubling situation that seems like it could have been avoided,” Trump added. “NOT GOOD!!!”
Trump was not alone in raising peculiar questions to the public during a time when the details of the event remained scarce.
Billionaire Bill Ackman pushed conspiracy theories further, asserting that the collision “feels more akin to terrorism than a mere accident.”
“How can such a highly maneuverable military helicopter collide with a regional plane by mistake when there are sensors and warning systems in place to avert incidents like this?” he remarked in a post on X. “Maybe a Blackhawk expert can provide some insight here.”
During a press briefing late Wednesday night, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser had no details on potential survivors or fatalities, remarking that teams were still engaged in rescue efforts for the passengers.
