US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the fatal midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter on Wednesday left no survivors.
Speaking at a press conference at the White House on Thursday, Trump addressed the incident, which involved a passenger plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members and a US Army helicopter with a crew of three.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the helicopter was participating in a “routine annual training of night flights on a standard corridor for a continuity of government mission.”
The military and federal agencies regularly conduct “continuity of government” exercises to ensure that essential government functions can continue in the event of a disaster threatening Washington. Helicopters play a crucial role in transporting key government leaders to secure locations.
“The military does dangerous things. It does routine things on a regular basis. Tragically, last night, a mistake was made,” Hegseth said.
The defence secretary suggested there had been an “elevation issue” but noted that investigations had commenced to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Trump blamed Democrats for mismanaging the aviation sector and prioritising diversity over safety standards, which he claimed led to the crash.
So far, authorities have recovered 28 bodies after the aircraft plunged into the Potomac River.
The crash is believed to be the deadliest in the US since 2001.