According to President Donald Trump, the Black Hawk helicopter that struck the American Airlines passenger plane close to Reagan National Airport "was flying too high, by a lot."
"It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Military helicopter flights forced at least two planes to abort landings at Reagan National Airport in the week before a deadly collision presumably killed 67 people on Wednesday, according to a report. The flight originated in Wichita and included more than a dozen members of a figure skating club that had just participated in a training camp and championships in Kansas.
Officials are still investigating the cause of the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board says a preliminary report will be issued in 30 days, but questions are already mounting about staffing and close calls at the airport where the plane was landing.
Trump was widely criticized for his performance in the first press conference about the tragedy, where he riffed on political enemies and blamed DEI for the crash. The link between diversity and inclusion programs and the collision are unknown, although Trump said he based his claim on 'common sense.'
What is known is air traffic control was being handled by one person in the tower at the time, which is allowed by FAA standards, although two controllers is the norm.