Egypt Daily News – Rescue teams are still working on a US passenger plane crash site carrying 64 people after it collided with a military helicopter, in the waters of the Potomac River, near Ronald Reagan National Airport, in Washington.
No survivors
US President Donald Trump confirmed today, Thursday, that there are no survivors in the collision of the two planes, indicating the shift of work from rescue to the recovery of the bodies.
He also accused Joe Biden and Barack Obama of reducing air safety standards. He criticized the Biden administration and attacked diversity initiatives, claiming that he had increased standards for those who work within aviation.
“I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first,” Mr. Trump claimed.
“I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for our nation,” Mr. Trump said.
He said the “massive search and rescue operation” that began overnight was “leveraging every asset at our disposal,” and that responders have done a “phenomenal job.”
“The work has now shifted to a recovery mission,” he said. “Sadly, there are no survivors.”
“We are in mourning, this has really shaken a lot of people.”
The president pledged to support the families affected by the crash, saying “we’re all searching for answers.”
“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” Mr. Trump said. “We’ll find out how this disaster occurred and we’ll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
He also announced the assignment of a new committee to manage the Federal Aviation Agency, explaining that the investigations are still ongoing and the reason for the collision of the two planes is still unknown. He also explained that the work moved from the rescue to the recovery of the bodies, revealing that the collision of the two planes resulted in a tragedy.
60 passengers and 4 members of their crew
The American Air Lines plane, with 60 passengers and 4 members of its crew, collided late on Wednesday evening (local time) with a Black Hawk helicopter, which was on a training mission. While security and surveillance cameras documented the moment the two planes colliding in the air and then falling in the very cold water at this time of the year, which made the rescue teams jobs difficult.
Meanwhile, the American Air Lines CEO Robert Isom said the pilot of the American Eagle Flight 5342 had about six years of flying experience. The Bombardier CRJ-700 jet was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary. It carried 60 passengers and four crew members and that the company does not know why a military helicopter entered the passenger plane path.
