Trump Criticizes US Army Helicopter, Plane Collision as ‘Preventable’

United States President Donald Trump has weighed in on the recent midair collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane, calling it a “bad situation that should have been prevented.”
The incident occurred on Wednesday at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, when the helicopter and the American Airlines jet collided midair. The plane, which had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, had just departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was approaching the airport when the collision took place.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed his frustration over the incident, questioning why the helicopter pilot did not take evasive action despite the clear visibility. “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?” Trump wrote.
Trump also directed his criticism toward the control tower, suggesting that the air traffic controllers should have taken more proactive measures in guiding the helicopter. “Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane?” he added.
The president concluded his post with a stark assessment: “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
While Trump’s remarks have sparked a range of reactions, it is unclear whether his comments were based on official reports or preliminary information regarding the incident. CNN has noted that it is not immediately known whether the president had been briefed on the details of the collision before making his statements.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have since launched investigations into the cause of the collision, which has raised concerns over aviation safety and the coordination between air traffic control and aircraft in busy airspaces.