US President Donald Trump held a press conference yesterday at the White House after the death toll in the crash between the passenger plane and the military helicopter that collided and crashed into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, rose to 67.
The US president, who began the meeting by holding a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in the crash and offering his condolences to the families of the victims, said in his speech that the pilot of the military helicopter could have seen the passenger plane and was in a position to maneuver to avoid the collision but did not do so and that all decisions that caused the crash would be investigated in detail.
He also criticized former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama for allegedly hiring unqualified people by considering criteria such as ethnic diversity and said that he signed a decree last week that restored the highest standards.
Melih Göğebakan from the White House Trump Media Team stated that the pilot of the military helicopter might have deliberately crashed into the plane due to psychological problems he had. “All the lights of the Blackhawk were turned off 45 seconds before the crash. It is being considered that it may be related to Russian athletes,” he added.
The FBI and military authorities are reportedly investigating whether the incident was sabotage.
TR