(WASHINGTON) -- Newly appointed Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said Thursday that the midair collision Wednesday night between a regional American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., was "absolutely" preventable.
No one survived the collision, which claimed the lives of 64 passengers and crew onboard the commercial aircraft and three crew onboard the military helicopter.
During a morning news conference, Duffy said the skies over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were clear and the final runway approach of Flight 5342, which departed from Wichita, Kansas, was "standard," as was the flight pattern of the military helicopter.
"Obviously, it is not standard to have aircraft collide. I want to be clear on that," Duffy said. "But prior to the collision, the flight paths that were being flown from the military and from American, that was not unusual for what happens in the D.C. airspace."
Asked by reporters whether the crash was avoidable, Duffy said it "absolutely" was.
Duffy's comments came after President Donald Trump posted a statement on his Truth Social platform, questioning why the control tower didn't wave off the military helicopter from the flight path of the American Airlines jet.
"It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!," Trump wrote.
In a press conference from the White House later Thursday morning, Trump called the collision a "tragedy of terrible proportions," and also used the briefing to go on the offensive against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, claiming that the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) DEI hiring plan was to blame for the collision.
When pressed by ABC News' Mary Bruce, Trump said that "we don't know" what caused the crash and added that they're still looking into it. He later said he concluded DEI policies were to blame because he has "common sense."
A recording released by LiveATC.net of the communications between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport air traffic control (ATC) and the Black Hawk helicopter indicates the military flight crew was aware of the American Airlines plane's approach before the crash.
ATC is heard in the recording asking the crew of the helicopter, which the controller referred to as "PAT 25," if the plane was visible.
"PAT 25, do you have CRJ in sight?" ATC said, using the initials for the make of the American Airlines aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ700.
Two minutes later, ATC provided instructions to the helicopter crew, saying, "PAT 25, pass behind the CRJ." Three minutes later, the controller provides further instructions to the helicopter crew, saying, "PAT 25 has aircraft in sight – maintain visual separation."
When pressed by reporters for details about the communications between ATC and the helicopter, Duffy said, "I would say the helicopter was aware there was a plane in the area."
Duffy said it remains under investigation why the helicopter continued to fly into the path of the passenger plane.
Security video obtained by ABC News captured the first major U.S. air disaster in nearly 16 years. Video footage showed Flight 5342 making its final approach to Reagan National when it was struck by the Black Hawk helicopter, which was traveling south.
Duffy said the Black Hawk helicopter was on a training mission at the time of the crash but did not elaborate.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with assistance from the military and the FAA.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the captain of Flight 5342 had been flying for the American Airlines regional carrier PSA Airlines for six years and that the first officer had been with the airline for two years.
"At this point, we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident," Fire Chief John Donnelly of the Washington, D.C. Fire Department said at Thursday morning's news conference.
Donnelly said first responders who arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of the crash found the airplane "inverted" in three pieces in waist-high water in the Potomac. He said the helicopter was discovered nearby.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said he was familiar with the American Airlines flight from Wichita to Washington, D.C., adding, "I've flown it many times myself."
"I lobbied American Airlines to begin having a direct, nonstop flight service to DCA," Moran said of the route, which has been operating for about one year.
"It is certainly true that in Kansas and Wichita in particular, we're going to know people who are on this flight, know their family members, know somebody. So this is a very personal circumstance, as well as an official response," Moran added.
The Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, according to an Army official. "We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available," the official said.
At the time of the crash, the water temperature in the Potomac River was approximately 36 degrees Fahrenheit, while the air temperature at the time of the crash was 50 degrees with winds gusting at 25 to 30 mph.
This is the first major commercial airplane crash in the United States since the Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, New York, in 2009.
Trump released an earlier statement following the crash Wednesday night.
"I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls.
Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise," he wrote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Army and Defense Department would "immediately" launch an investigation into the collision.
"Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families. Investigation launched immediately by Army & DoD," Hegseth wrote on X.
The Army helicopter was on an "annual proficiency training flight" at the time of the crash, Hegseth said in a video message he later posted.
"It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation," Hegseth said. "They did have night vision goggles."
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said "extensive resources are fully supporting the search and rescue efforts" following the crash.
"First responders from across Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland mobilized quickly," he said on X. "I ask everyone to pray for the passengers, crews, their families, and brave first responders."
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu discussed the reality of people from her community being on the flight, noting that the first direct flight from Wichita to the nation's capital, which began daily service on Jan. 8, 2024, coincided with her first day in office.
"Our entire community right now is praying, hoping for better news," Wu told ABC News. "But as a community, the entire city of Wichita, the city council members and the staff all throughout the city of Wichita are hoping that we have better news to come out of this."
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said in a social media post, "When one person dies, it's a tragedy. But when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow … It's really hard when you lose, you know, probably over 60 Kansans, simultaneously."
Speaking of the pilots, flight attendants and military personnel, Marshall added, "All those lives are so valuable, and it is such a tragedy that we lost them."
U.S. Figure Skating issued a statement saying that "several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342," according to the statement obtained by ABC News.
"These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas," the statement continued. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."
Russian media also reported that two Russian figure skaters were on board the plane and expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the collision.
“Unfortunately, we see that these sad information is being confirmed," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday morning. "There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today."
Earlier, several Russian state media outlets were reporting that married 1994 Russian world figure skating champions in pairs Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who lived in the U.S., were on board the plane, though U.S. authorities have not confirmed these reports.
At least 19 aircraft that were in the air and due to land at Reagan National Airport had to be diverted after the midair collision, according to Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The diverted flights landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
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