The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has begun an in-depth investigation into the mid-air collision between an American Airlines plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.
NTSB: “Very Quick, Rapid Impact”
NTSB member Todd Inman confirmed that the crash happened suddenly, leaving no time for emergency evacuation.
“Right now, we’re going through the debris fields. Nothing we’ve seen would indicate that maybe slides or shoots were deployed. It was a very quick, rapid impact,” Inman said in a press briefing.
He also revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has shared a “very large package of information” with investigators.
“We received a very large package of information from the FAA at about 3 a.m. I believe, this morning, that is still being reviewed and analyzed,” Inman added.
NTSB Promises Thorough Investigation
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy assured that all possible causes will be examined, including human error, aircraft condition, and environmental factors.
“We will look at all the humans that were involved in this accident. We will look at the aircraft, we will look at the helicopter, and we will look at the environment in which they were operating,” she stated.
Tragic Loss of 67 Lives Confirmed
The collision occurred on Wednesday night, sending both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River. US authorities have confirmed that all 67 people onboard are feared dead.
Trump Expresses Grief, Blames Biden and Obama
Former President Donald Trump addressed the tragedy, calling it a “devastating moment” in American history.
“Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions as we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly. This is really shaking a lot of people, including people from other nations,” Trump said.
Trump also blamed former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama for lowering air safety standards, claiming they prioritized politics over safety.
“Democrats put policy first and they put politics at a level that nobody’s ever seen,” he said, adding that aviation jobs require “superior intelligence.”
As investigations continue, authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the collision and ensure similar tragedies do not happen again.