A severe accident occurred in Washington, USA, on Thursday morning. A plane carrying around 60 people collided with a helicopter at Ronald Reagan Airport. President Donald Trump addressed the issue of the air traffic system.

Washington Plane Crash: At least 18 bodies have been recovered so far following a horrific plane crash in the United States on Thursday morning. An American Airlines aircraft collided with a helicopter at Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington.

According to reports, around 60 people were on board the plane, while the helicopter had three passengers. The accident occurred as the plane was descending for landing. Viral videos on social media show the violent collision between the plane and the helicopter, after which both plunged into the river.

The U.S. President has expressed sorrow over the incident, stating that the crash was caused by negligence.

Donald Trump has raised several questions regarding this incident. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused the military helicopter and air traffic controllers of negligence. Notably, both of these agencies are accountable to the presidential office.

Trump wrote, “The plane was in the exact right and regular position at the airport. The helicopter was heading straight toward the plane for quite some time.”

He further questioned, “The plane’s lights were on, so why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or change direction? Why didn’t the control tower instruct the helicopter on what to do? This is a bad situation. It seems like it could have been prevented. Very bad.!!!”

An audio recording from 30 seconds before the crash has surfaced. According to a report by the Associated Press, an audio clip from the air traffic control tower captures the conversation just before the accident. Less than 30 seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it could see the approaching aircraft. However, there was no response, and just a few seconds later, the two aircraft collided.

Search Operation Continues

Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation near the Potomac River is ongoing. Several officials from Washington Firefighters, the police, and the U.S. Coast Guard are involved in the effort. Mayor Muriel Bowser stated in a press conference that first responders are working in extremely dark and cold conditions, making it difficult to locate the missing individuals.

Meanwhile, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom has expressed his condolences over the incident. He stated that the airline is fully cooperating with the safety investigation.