Donald Trump points to helicopter pilot in plane crash: 'There were no survivors'

The death toll from the crash involving a passenger plane preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C. and a military helicopter has risen to 67. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a press conference at the White House, stated that there were no survivors in the crash and offered his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Trump said, "We are very, very sorry for those who have loved ones on the passenger plane. We can only imagine the pain you are feeling. It cannot get any worse. On behalf of the First Lady, myself, and 340 million Americans, our hearts are shattered with you. Our prayers are with you, and we will work very, very diligently in the coming days. We are here to wipe away your tears and offer you our commitment, our love, and our support."

Trump announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the U.S. military have launched a detailed investigation into the crash. Noting that the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, is facing this tragic accident on his second day in office, Trump said, "We will work tirelessly to understand the exact cause of the incident. All relevant agencies are conducting a comprehensive review."

Announcing that he has appointed a new acting administrator to the FAA, Trump stated that Christopher Rochelle will closely follow this investigation. "We must enforce only the highest standards for those working in our aviation system," Trump said, criticizing the low standards of the former administrations of Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

"THE HELICOPTER PILOT DID NOT USE THE OPPORTUNITIES"

President Trump stated that the military helicopter pilot could have seen the passenger plane and was in a position to maneuver to avoid the collision, but did not do so. Trump said, "The helicopter had the ability to stop. It could have gone up or down, it could have turned, it could have reduced its speed. However, clearly, the turn he made was not the right turn, and he did the exact opposite of what he was told. The helicopter pilot had many opportunities to avoid the collision, but unfortunately, he did not use those opportunities."

Trump stated that the decisions leading to the crash will be examined in detail and whether there was pilot negligence will be investigated.

"WARNINGS WERE GIVEN TOO LATE"

Trump said that the air traffic controller should have given a warning earlier to prevent the crash, but that it was done too late. Trump said, "When the air traffic controller said, 'Do you see it?', there was very little time left. Then it was said, 'Follow it,' and the collision occurred within seconds. In such incidents, even seconds can save lives."

Trump noted that he had signed an executive order last week to address deficiencies in the air traffic control system, but that it had only gone into effect a few days before the crash.

"CONTROLLERS WERE SELECTED FROM THOSE WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INTELLIGENCE"

Criticizing the changes made to the air traffic control system during the Obama administration, Trump stated that only the most competent individuals should be employed to ensure safety in the air. Trump said, "When I arrived in 2016, air traffic controllers were selected only from those with the highest level of intelligence. However, during the Obama-Biden administration, these standards were lowered. They sacrificed quality for the sake of diversity. Under my administration, these practices were ended, and last week I signed an executive order restoring the highest standards."

Claiming that the Biden administration "hired low-qualified people at the FAA for the sake of diversity," Trump stated that these policies jeopardized safety. Trump said, "We must hire only the most capable people for these positions. It should be intelligence and ability that matter, not the color of people's skin or their background. You cannot have ordinary people doing this job. Because the consequences of that would be catastrophic."

"THERE IS NO ACCEPTABLE SIDE TO THIS CRASH"

Trump emphasized that the investigation would be completed as soon as possible and that those responsible would be held accountable. Trump said, "Americans expect to land safely at their destinations when they take off by plane. There is no acceptable side to this crash. We will take every measure to ensure that such incidents do not happen again from now on."

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the U.S. military will investigate in detail whether the helicopter was on a training flight, the role of air traffic control in the crash, the possibility of pilot error, why the military helicopter was flying at the same altitude as the passenger plane, and why air traffic control could not prevent the collision.

"IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE HELICOPTER PILOT INTENTIONALLY COLLIDED WITH THE PLANE"

Melih Göğebakan from the White House Trump Media Team suggested that the crash might have been intentional. Göğebakan said, "It is thought that the military helicopter pilot intentionally collided with the passenger plane due to psychological problems he was experiencing. 45 seconds before the collision, all the lights on the Blackhawk were turned off. It is being focused on whether it could be related to Russian athletes."

While these allegations have not yet been confirmed by official sources, it was reported that the FBI and military authorities are investigating whether the incident was sabotage.

The passenger plane belonging to American Airlines, which was trying to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and carrying 64 people including 4 crew members, and the Blackhawk-type military helicopter with 3 people on board collided in the air and crashed into the Potomac River.