Trump Admin Provides Key Update On DC Air Disaster
The Trump administration on Wednesday issued a crucial update regarding the recent mid-air collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The incident, which occurred last week, resulted in the tragic loss of over 60 lives.
According to Fox News, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the helicopter—manned by two pilots and a crew chief—was operating at approximately 300 feet, exceeding the National Capital Region’s designated helicopter altitude ceiling of 200 feet.
Air traffic control data supported this conclusion, confirming that there were no survivors from either the military aircraft or the commercial jetliner.
President Donald Trump had previously commented on the crash in a Truth Social post, stating that the "helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit."
The NTSB clarified that additional verification of the Black Hawk’s flight data is required. Investigators plan to gather further details once the helicopter’s wreckage is extracted from the Potomac River later this week, as per Fox News.
Preliminary assessments suggested a shift in the aircraft’s pitch, indicating that the passenger plane may have ascended before the impact.
Officials from the NTSB are actively working to transcribe cockpit voice recordings from both aircraft. Efforts are also underway to synchronize data from the Black Hawk’s flight data recorder with its cockpit voice recorder.
The retrieval process for the passenger jet’s wreckage continues. Recent findings from the Potomac River include the right wing, center fuselage, portions of the left wing and fuselage, as well as major components of the forward cabin and cockpit. Other recovered pieces include the aircraft’s vertical and horizontal stabilizers, tail cone, rudder, elevators, TCAS computer, and quick access recorder.
The wreckage will be transported to a secure location for further analysis. According to the NTSB, "The aircraft systems group continues to review maintenance paperwork for the CRJ700 and the helicopter airworthiness group continues to review maintenance records for the Black Hawk."
CBS News reported that the helicopter’s crew was participating in a training drill designed to prepare for potential attacks on the capital.
Officials disclosed that the exercise involved rehearsing an emergency White House evacuation plan when the Black Hawk collided with the commercial airliner.
Defense sources confirmed these details to CBS News after online speculation suggested the mission was linked to such a scenario.
Social media discussions exploded with theories suggesting that the helicopter’s mission was an emergency evacuation drill for the president, tied to a Continuity of Government (COG) contingency plan, as reported by DailyMail.com.
COG operations in the United States consist of protocols ensuring the continuity of essential government functions in the aftermath of catastrophic events, including nuclear strikes, natural disasters, cyberattacks, or acts of terrorism. A fundamental aspect of these plans involves safeguarding key personnel and infrastructure.
On Friday, the identities of the Black Hawk’s crew were confirmed. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, the pilot in command, and Staff Sergeant Ryan O’Hara, the crew chief, were among those onboard.
Following a delay, the Army also disclosed the identity of the third crew member: Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach of Durham, N.C. Fox News reported that she "served as an aviation officer in the Army since July 2019 and had around 500 hours of flying time in the Black Hawk."
Initially, Lobach’s family requested that her identity remain confidential amid speculation that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies played a role in the crash.
Military experts noted that the delay in identifying Lobach was inconsistent with Army protocol, which does not typically allow for exceptions based on the wishes of surviving relatives.
Reports also revealed that Lobach previously worked as a social media aide for the Biden administration at the White House.