The plane crash in Washington could have been avoided. What the media is saying
A passenger airplane and a military helicopter collided in Washington. Their wreckage fell into the Potomac River. There were 67 people on board the two aircraft. Among them could be representatives of figure skating. US President Donald Trump said that this disaster could have been avoided. What the media write about the incident - in the digest of Izvestia.
The Washington Post: it is not possible to find survivors
An American Airlines passenger plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River. The aircraft collided at approximately 8:47 p.m. on Jan. 29. The weather was not unusual at the time of the incident, with visibility up to 16 kilometers.
The Washington Post
Police pulled several bodies from the water, according to officials and people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident. Maryland State Police divers are on the scene to assist in the search.
No survivors could be found as of late evening (early morning Moscow time - Ed.). A total of 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane. Three military personnel were present in the helicopter. There were no high-ranking military personnel on board.
CNN: Trump said the crash could have been prevented
US President Donald Trump has called the situation with the plane and helicopter crash "horrible", saying the disaster "could have been prevented". He said the plane was "on a perfect and normal approach line to the airport".
CNN
"The helicopter flew directly at the airplane for an extended period of time. It was a clear night, the lights on the plane were on, 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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Earlier, Trump said he was "fully briefed" on the collision. He assured that he is "monitoring the situation" and will provide more information as it becomes available.
Bloomberg: helicopter crash will be the first test of the head of the Pentagon
New U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military has launched an investigation into the causes of the collision between a passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter to find out who was to blame and how the tragedy occurred. The Army said the helicopter was on a training mission along the Potomac River. A military spokesman said there were three crew members on board.
Bloomberg
The investigation plunges Hegseth into a major crisis just days after he was sworn in as the 29th secretary of defense. Already, intense scrutiny is focused on the helicopter and why he didn't turn away from the approaching aircraft.
Hegseth has little experience running an organization of the size and complexity of the Pentagon or overseeing the investigation that is about to begin. Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, is scheduled to have his confirmation hearing on Jan. 30.
Reuters: there was a team of figure skaters on board the plane
The U.S. Figure Skating Association said that on board the crashed airplane were members of the figure skating community of Washington. The names of the passengers were not disclosed.
Reuters
These athletes, coaches and their families were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the families of the victims in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release additional information as it becomes available.
It has been reported that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, 1994 world champions in pairs skating, may have been on board. Their son Maxim Naumov was competing in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita from Jan. 20-26.
Associated Press: a witness reported two explosions
Local resident Ashlyn Finch reported hearing two explosions from her home. Her 12-year-old son came running afterward and said he saw an airplane crash and lights falling into the river water.
Associated Press
When they opened the back door, the smell of jet fuel hit them, she said. Minutes later, they saw police officers approaching the water, followed by helicopters and boats on the river.
Another eyewitness, Mark Poloncarz, said he was waiting for his flight at Reagan Airport when several emergency vehicles drove by the terminal. A full shutdown of airport operations was announced shortly afterward.
