ARLINGTON, Virginia USA:  A devastating midair collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet claimed the lives of all 67 people aboard both aircraft, officials confirmed in updates. This marks the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States in almost 25 years.

Rescue teams recovered at least 28 bodies from the freezing Potomac River after the Army helicopter, a UH-60 Black Hawk, reportedly flew into the path of an American Airlines regional jet late Wednesday. The plane was flying  Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington, when the crash occurred. The jet had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, while the helicopter carried three soldiers.

This tragedy is the first fatal commercial airline crash in the U.S. since 2009.

Did the Helicopter Deviate from Its Flight Path?

Investigators are looking into whether the Army helicopter was flying outside its approved route at the time of the collision. According to a New York Times report, the Black Hawk may have been flying higher than permitted and was at least half a mile off course. Multiple sources briefed on the situation revealed that the helicopter had been cleared to stay at 200 feet along the east side of the Potomac River but was above 300 feet when it collided with the jet.

Reports further indicate that a single air traffic controller was handling both helicopter and airplane traffic at the time, which the Federal Aviation Administration later acknowledged was an unusual staffing situation for that level of air traffic.

Trump Weighs In on the Disaster

Following the crash, former President Donald Trump shared his condolences, calling it a moment of national grief. However, he also suggested that lower hiring standards for air traffic controllers under past administrations, particularly during Joe Biden and Barack Obama's presidencies, could have contributed to the tragedy.

Trump has frequently criticized federal "diversity, equity, and inclusion" programs, and in his remarks, he linked these initiatives to Federal Aviation Administration's hiring practices. He claimed that the FAA had given preference to applicants with various disabilities, including hearing and vision impairments, and blamed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for what he described as the agency's mismanagement.

According to the FAA, the aircraft involved was a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operating as American Airlines Flight 5342. The plane had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, and was approaching Reagan National Airport around 9 p.m. local time when it collided with the Black Hawk.

Authorities continue to gather evidence from the crash site, and a full report on the causes of this tragedy is expected in the coming weeks.