Following the news that a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, U.S. President Donald Trump released a statement about the devastating midair accident. In a statement posted by White House Press Secretary Karolina Leavitt, President Trump stated that he had been fully briefed on the accident.
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“May God Bless their souls,” he stated about the victims. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 30, 2025
The tragic incident took place around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29. American Airlines Flight 5342 was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. when it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter that was out on a training mission. A total of 64 people were onboard the commercial aircraft, while three soldiers were on the helicopter.
President Donald Trump also shared his personal thoughts about the midair collision in a post on Truth Social.
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport,” the world leader wrote. “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. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
In a separate Truth Social post, he added. “What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!”
Officials Switch From Rescue to Recovery Operation
Following hours of rescue efforts, officials have announced teams are now focusing on recovery, as it is believed no one survived the midair collision.
According to CNN, Washington D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly announced that search teams are now conducting a recovery operation in the Potomac River, where both aircraft landed after each burst into flames.
“We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Donnelly stated. “At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.”
Donnelly also stated he is confident that all bodies of those killed in the midair collision will be recovered. “I’m confident that we will do that, and that will take us a little bit of time, though,” he said. “It may involve some more equipment.”
He then pointed out that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the next phase of the operation.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom also spoke out about the midair collision. “At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft.”