American Airlines crash: Five unanswered questions that Donald Trump will want to know

Many unanswered questions remain after an American Airlines plane collided with a US military helicopter. All 67 people involved are feared dead.

American Eagle flight 5342 (the brand name for the regional branch of American Airlines) on Wednesday night above the Potomac River near .

The flight, coming from from Witchita, Kansas and operated by Pacific Southwest Airlines, had members on board. The Black Hawk had three people on board during its training flight.

During a press conference held this afternoon, US President blamed diversity rules under his predecessors’ administration for the tragedy, but the cause of the crash is still unclear.

Here are five still unanswered questions on the incident.

1. Who is responsible?

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, but has already blamed it on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) during a White House press conference.

When asked why he thought the crash was caused by DEI, the president responded, “It just could have been”. He added: “Because I have common sense, OK, and unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.”

Without providing any evidence to support his claims, he blamed his predecessors in the Biden administration – particularly former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg – for allegedly hiring people with disabilities and psychological issues for air traffic controller positions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), he also claimed, was “ran into the ground” by DEI hires.

2. Why was the helicopter flying at that location and altitude?

The Black Hawk collided with the passenger jet into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport just before 9pm local time on Wednesday, and authorities are trying to work out why it was flying there at that moment.

The American Airlines plane was travelling at 140pmg at an altitude of 400ft when it rapidly lost altitude.

According to a law enforcement source speaking to CBS News, authorities are also investigating the helicopter’s altitude and why it was flying there – something Mr Trump also questioned.

3. When will we know what caused the crash?

The cause of the crash remains unknown, and despite what the president said, there is no evidence to suggest DEI or the Democrats are responsible.

However, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said a preliminary report on the cause of the crash

He said: “Our investigative team will be on scene as long as it takes in order to obtain all of the perishable evidence and all of the fact-finding that is needed to bring us to a conclusion of probable cause.”

4. Who was on the plane?

The American Airlines plane was carrying 64 people – 60 passengers and four crew members. According to the , the pilot was named as

The Black Hawk was carrying three military personnel. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the helicopter crew were “fairly experienced” and were equipped with night-vision goggles during the nighttime training flight.

Mr Trump said the Government would release the names of the deceased “very soon”, but questioned whether that’s “going to make a difference” to the situation.

He said: “If you want a list of the names, we can give you that, we’ll be giving that very soon in coordination with American Airlines. We’re in coordination very strongly, obviously, with the military.”

5. Why didn’t the helicopter respond to air traffic control warnings?

It’s been suggested that military and civilian aircraft use different communications methods, and Flightradar24 revealed the Black Hawk wasn’t broadcasting ADS-B data, which transmits its position, altitude, and other information.

Air traffic controllers asked the helicopter crew if they’d seen the American Airlines plane and told it to “pass behind” it