Washington DC Plane Crash Live: US military helicopter ‘flying too high’, alleges President Trump

President Trump's recent statements about the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have sparked fear and dismay among disabled workers, particularly those in the aviation industry.

Miles O'Brien, a journalist and pilot who lost his left arm in 2014, shared his personal struggle with the FAA's licensing process. Despite his disability, O'Brien successfully renewed his private pilot's license, but only after being required to perform tasks with one arm that most pilots do with two.

The FAA's lack of accommodations for disabled pilots has raised concerns about the agency's commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. As the FAA faces scrutiny over its safety record, disabled workers worry that their rights and abilities will be overlooked.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jeremy Inman declined to confirm reports of low air traffic control staffing at the time of the deadly mid-air collision near Washington DC, stating that the investigation will examine the controller's behaviors over the last several weeks, including the 72 hours leading up to the crash. (BBC)

The US Army withheld the name of one of the three soldiers killed in collision, following a family request, as per Reuters. The identified soldiers are Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O'Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves. Details of the third soldier remain undisclosed. The Army stated, "At the request of the family, the name of the third Soldier will not be released at this time."

Terry Liercke, vice president of Reagan Airport, faced questions about whether he had raised concerns with the FAA regarding air traffic congestion, reported BBC. "The United States airspace is the safest in the world. Safety is our, one of our top priorities," Liercke responded. When pressed about past near misses, he did not directly answer whether concerns had been raised, stating only, "We work with the FAA," as per BBC.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump is focused on increasing staffing at federal agencies like the FAA, reported The Guardian. “That’s why he signed a very strong executive order on his second day in office, immediately terminating DEI hiring practices at the FAA,” she said.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed that the administration is mourning the victims of the collision and supporting their families, reported The Guardian. “Everyone in this White House continues to mourn the victims and keep their friends and families in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time,” she said. Leavitt added that the president is receiving ongoing updates as recovery efforts continue.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is currently holding a press briefing, as per The Guardian.

American Airlines is retiring the flight number of the American Eagle jet involved in the fatal midair collision with a military helicopter, according to NBC News. The airline confirmed that flight number 5342 will no longer be used following the accident. NBC reports that it is common practice for airlines to retire flight numbers after major aviation disasters.

Recovering the commercial plane’s black boxes is “a good start to putting together one of the very many pieces of this puzzle,” said NTSB spokesperson Todd Inman on 'Good Morning America', as per BBC. Inman noted it will take “several days” to analyze the black box data, as multiple people must review the audio tapes. On the broader probe, he said, “These major investigations will take us a year, if not more, to come to a final probable cause.” The NTSB will then issue recommendations to prevent similar accidents, as per BBC.

The FAA has indefinitely restricted helicopter flights near Washington’s Reagan National Airport, reported Reuters. An FAA official said most helicopters are now barred from key routes near the airport, except for police and medical flights. The move aims to prevent further risks as crews recover wreckage from the deadliest US air disaster in two decades.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, defended air traffic controllers after President Donald Trump claimed DEI initiatives at the FAA have lowered standards, reported BBC. In an interview with CBS News, Daniels emphasized their rigorous training, stating, “It doesn’t matter their race, color, religion, you can know you are in the best hands that take that responsibility very seriously every day.” Responding to Trump’s remarks, he added, “I couldn’t tell you exactly what he was talking about because the quality of air traffic controllers out there is outstanding.”

More than 40 bodies have been pulled from the water after DC midair collision, as per law enforcement official, reported AP.

US President Donald took to his own social media platform Truth Social and alleged that the US military's Black Hawk helicopter was flying "too high" than its limit. However, his claims cannot be verified as investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board are underway. The agency is expected to come out with a preliminary report in the next 30 days. In a post on his own social media , Trump wrote:

The National Safety Council estimates that Americans have a 1-in-93 chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash, while deaths on airplanes are too rare to calculate the odds. Figures from the Department of Transportation tell a similar story. But the airspace around Reagan National can challenge even the most experienced pilots no matter how ideal the conditions, reports AP. They must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites. Just over 24 hours before the fatal collision, a different regional jet had to go around for a second chance at landing at Reagan National after it was advised about a military helicopter nearby, according to flight tracking sites and control logs. It landed safely minutes later.

Meanwhile, speaking with the BBC, Mo Khimji, a pilot who regularly flies in and out of Reagan National Airport says the airport and surrounding airspace are extremely congested and that even with all the superb training pilots find it challenging.

“If we are landing on the river and we have a strong right to left crosswind, we have to be cognizant of it. A late turn can result in that wind pushing us into the restricted airspace by a whisker," Mo adds.

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press.

Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30 pm, once traffic begins to slow down. On Wednesday the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report said.

A person familiar with the matter, however, said the tower staffing that night was at a normal level. The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, during shift changes or when air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers. Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas.

“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.The helicopter's maximum allowed altitude at the time was 200 feet (about 60 meters), Koziol said. It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision. AP

American Airlines has told the BBC that flights running from Wichita, Kansas to Washington DC are set to resume today.

Flight number AA5677 operates six times a week, a spokesperson for the airline said.

Meanwhile, the Reagan National Airport -- close to where the collision happened and the destination of the passenger plane - is "operating normally, including all customer services", the airport says.

An American Airlines flight to Miami set off from the airport ahead of schedule early this morning, with further departures currently expected to run on time. BBC

Divers are expected to return to the Potomac River on Friday as part of the recovery and investigation after a mid-air collision killed 67 people in the United States' deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century. Investigators have already recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the American Airlines plane that collided with an Army helicopter as the plane was landing Wednesday night(local time) at Ronald Reagan National Airport next to Washington, DC.

Officials are scrutinizing a range of factors in what National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Hommendy has called an “all-hands-on-deck event.”All aboard the two aircraft were killed, with officials examining the actions of the military pilot as well as air traffic control after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines jet. AP

Among the passengers aboard on the flight involved in the DC crash were Russian former skating stars Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were a pair of coaches at a club in Boston.

They won the world championships in 1994 and went on to compete at the Winter Olympics before taking coaching roles in the US.

They leave behind their 24-year-old son, Max, who followed his parents into figure skating.

The Russian embassy in Washington says US authorities have expressed their "readiness to help" with the repatriation of their remains.

Inna Volyanskaya - a former skater for the Soviet Union - was also on board the flight, according to Russian news agency Tass. BBC

Pictures of the NTSB investigators with the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ 700 airplane involved in yesterday’s mid-air collision at DCA. The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation.

The NTSB history dates to 1926, when Congress passed a law charging the US Department of Commerce with investigating aircraft accidents. It was established as an independent agency within the US Department of Transportation in 1967 and then separated by Congress in 1974 as a stand-alone organization, fully independent from any other federal agencies.Since its creation in 1967, the agency reports it has investigated more than 153,000 aviation accidents and incidents. AP

NTSB officials did not say how long the investigation would take, but accident investigations often take between one to two years to complete. The agency typically releases a preliminary report within a few weeks of the accident that includes a synopsis of information collected at the scene. AP

National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Hommendy described the investigation into the crash Wednesday night as an “all-hands-on-deck event” for the agency during a news conference Thursday in which she appeared with members of the board and a senior investigator overseeing the probe.

The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for investigating all civil aviation accidents as well as serious incidents in the US involving other modes of transportation, such as railroad disasters and major accidents involving motor vehicles, marine vessels, pipelines and even commercial space operators.

“We’re here to ensure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned in this investigation,” Hommendy said, noting the probe is in the very early stages. “We are going to conduct a thorough investigation of this entire tragedy, looking at the facts.” AP

As the names of some of the 67 people killed in the fatal crash are slowly emerging, regional US politicians pay their tribute to members of their communities who lost their lives.

Governor of Rhode Island Dan McKee says state's the "heart breaks for their devastating loss", after figure skater Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother Christine Lane were killed.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin says that he’s learned “Virginia families were among those lost”, but has not identified the victims himself.

In Wichita, Kansas, where the flight to Washington DC departed, congress members Ron Estes and Roger Marshall issued a joint statement.

They say "it’s likely that many of us directly or indirectly know people who were on Flight 5342", adding that it is a "sad day for Kansans and our nation".

"This community - steeped in aviation and manufacturing history - will feel the pain of this catastrophe for years to come.” BBC

The identities of two of the three people onboard the Black Hawk involved in the collision have been named, the identity of the third person is not yet known.

Pilot Andrew Eaves from Mississippi has been named by his wife, Carrie, as one of the victims on the helicopter.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says the state "is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves."

Ryan O'Hara, 29, was the crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter according to CBS News.

He leaves behind a wife and one-year-old son, his Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) group says in a social media post confirming his death. BBC

Jonathan Campos has been identified as the captain of the American Airlines flight involved in the fatal mid air crash.

Epic Flight Academy wrote in a post on Facebook that "he was a skilled and dedicated pilot with an undeniable passion for flying".

Sam Lilley has been named as the second pilot on the American Airlines flight, his father Timothy tells Fox 5 News Atlanta.

"This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life," he told the news channel, after realising his son was one of the pilots on the flight.

Ian Epstein was a flight attendant on the plane, his family said, adding that he was known for his ability to make people smile and was "full of life". Among them was also flight attendant, Danasia Elder. BBC

The military helicopter that collided with an American Airlines regional jet on Wednesday night appears to have been flying too high and outside its approved flight path at the time of the crash, according to four people briefed on the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

The Army Black Hawk helicopter was supposed to be flying in a different location and lower to the ground as it traversed the busy Reagan National airspace, the people said.

Before a helicopter can enter any busy commercial airspace, it must get the approval of an air traffic controller. In this case, the pilot of the helicopter asked the air traffic controller for permission to use a specific, predetermined route that lets helicopters fly no higher than 200 feet and that hugs the bank on the east side of the Potomac River, a location that would have let it avoid the American Airlines plane. New York Times

The tight-knit figure skating community was rocked Wednesday when an American Airlines flight carrying athletes, parents and coaches from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.

60 passengers and four crew members on the flight, along with three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk helicopter, are presumed dead. Among those killed were young skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, all of them representing the prestigious Skating Club of Boston.

The accident was an eerie reminder of the 1961 plane crash that killed the US delegation en route to the world championships in Prague.

Many of the top skaters on that team, including sisters Laurie and Maribel Owen, were from the Boston club.___“We’re family, and it’s a community and the skaters — the people who were on that plane — they’re our family, too. ... I certainly don’t have any answers. I really can’t believe that it happened." — 1956 Olympic and two-time world champion Tenley Albright.

“I’m in complete shock. I’m sorry, I don’t even know what to say. Young skaters, coaches, parents, so many bright lights in our community. My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones.” — two-time and reigning US champion Amber Glenn. AP

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has retrieved the black boxes from the commercial flight that collided with a military helicopter above Washington DC, killing all 67 people on board, the BBC reports.

As investigators work to determine the cause of the fatal crash, US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by suggesting that diversity policies may have contributed to the accident, despite lacking evidence to support his claims. The NTSB has announced that a preliminary report will be issued within 30 days, providing a clearer understanding of the events leading up to the tragedy.

A devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington DC has claimed the lives of all 67 people on board, sparking a federal investigation into the cause of the tragedy.

- Crash details: The collision occurred on Wednesday at around 8:47 p.m. EST, just three miles from the White House and the US Capitol, in airspace that ranks among the most scrutinized in the world.

- Fatalities: All 67 people aboard the two aircraft are believed to have died in the crash, making it the deadliest US air crash since 2001.

- Aircraft involved: The American Airlines plane, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas. The US Army Black Hawk helicopter had three military personnel aboard.

- Investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has begun its investigation, retrieving the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the wreckage. Preliminary information suggests the helicopter may have flown higher than its required altitude, and air traffic control procedures are also under scrutiny.

USACE Baltimore announced on X that its Emergency Operations Center has been activated to provide response and recovery support following the devastating mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.