Trump Reacts as U.S. Army Helicopter Collides with Passenger Plane, Killing 18

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has described the midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet as a “bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.” The tragic crash occurred early Thursday morning over the Potomac River, when American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet en route to Washington, D.C., collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during its descent.

Authorities have confirmed that at least 18 bodies have been recovered, with both the airline and military crews among the casualties. The U.S. Army stated that the Black Hawk was on a training flight with three soldiers aboard, all of whom are presumed dead. The passenger jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members.

Preliminary reports suggest that the crash occurred shortly after air traffic controllers advised the jet to land on Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport. Just moments before impact, the helicopter crew reportedly had visual contact with the jet but failed to maintain separation. The collision triggered a massive search-and-rescue operation, involving more than 300 responders. Inflatable boats combed the Potomac River, while flights at Reagan National Airport were suspended indefinitely.

Officials described the operation as “highly complex,” with teams still working to locate additional victims and any possible survivors. Air traffic control recordings from the moments leading up to the accident reveal urgent warnings from controllers, who repeatedly instructed the helicopter to maintain a safe distance from the jet. Witnesses from nearby aircraft reported seeing flares and debris scatter across the river after the impact.

Reacting to the tragedy on his Truth Social platform, Trump questioned how the crash could have happened on a clear night with all aircraft lights fully visible.

“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,” he wrote. “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?”

Calling the situation “NOT GOOD!!!”, Trump expressed frustration over what he suggested was a preventable tragedy.

Authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), have launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the collision.