WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that the Blackhawk helicopter involved in a collision with a regional passenger jet near Washington, D.C., was flying significantly higher than the prescribed altitude at the time of the incident.
The US Army has not provided an immediate comment on the matter. Military helicopters, including Blackhawks, typically follow a route over the Potomac River near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, called Route 4, where the altitude is restricted to a maximum of 200 feet (61 meters) for safety.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, stated, “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying way too high—far above the 200-foot limit. This isn’t complicated to understand, is it?”
The Federal Transportation authorities are continuing their investigation into the crash. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned that the Blackhawk had an elevation issue and confirmed that Army investigators were looking into the details. The crew members aboard the Blackhawk were highly experienced, with the instructor pilot having 1,000 flying hours and the other pilot having 500 hours.
The crash also involved an American Airlines Bombardier jet with 60 passengers and four crew members. The jet collided with the Blackhawk and crashed into the Potomac River while preparing to land. Unfortunately, no survivors were found, and the victims included young figure skaters and people from Kansas, along with foreign nationals from Russia, the Philippines, Germany, and China.
Investigators have recovered the black boxes from both the passenger jet and the military helicopter. A preliminary report on the incident is expected within 30 days. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is working with the Department of Defense to analyze the data from the devices.
The NTSB has also started collecting wreckage from the scene and is storing it at a hangar at Reagan National Airport. Divers from the Washington Fire Department have already conducted searches and will continue to look for additional aircraft components.
Both aircraft had been following standard flight patterns before the accident, and there were no communication breakdowns. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed that more than half of the victims’ bodies had been recovered.
However, Trump suggested without providing evidence that “federal diversity efforts” might have played a role in the incident, a claim that was met with criticism from rights groups and Democrats for politicizing the tragedy.
Regarding air traffic control, radio communications revealed that controllers had alerted the Blackhawk about the approaching jet and directed it to change course. However, only one controller was handling both local aircraft and helicopter traffic at the time, a situation deemed “not normal” but considered acceptable for the lower volume of traffic during the evening.
The US has been facing air traffic controller shortages, with about 3,000 fewer controllers than necessary, which has led to concerns over safety and prompted controllers to work extended hours to cover the gaps.
