Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, EPA

For those of you just joining, we've just wrapped up a news conference at the White House in which Donald Trump addressed reporters and gave his views on what may have caused last night's deadly accident.

Here are a few of the main points we heard from him:

• While the president said an investigation is still ongoing and in its early stages, Trump said he has "strong opinions" on the crash and what may have caused it
• Trump repeatedly alleged that the hiring of unqualified air traffic controllers may have contributed - although he gave no specifics and there has so far been no evidence that this was the case
• He specifically took aim at two of his predecessors: Joe Biden and Barack Obama
• Trump confirmed that Russian nationals were onboard the flight, as well as other nationalities - though he did not specify the other countries
• The American Airlines aircraft involved in the crash, Trump added, was "doing everything right"
• He suggested that the helicopter, on the other hand, had a "pilot problem" and speculated that it made a turn that was "not correct"

Trump answers his final question and leaves the White House briefing room after a news conference which lasted around 40 minutes - reporters continue to shout out questions as he leaves.

Stick with us as we continue to wrap up some of the top lines from his address.

Trump is now asked: is it safe to fly in and out of DC?

There were warnings, but they were given "very late", Trump says, adding that he believes the warnings should have been given earlier.

Again, he blames the helicopter pilot for not seeing the plane and he doesn't answer the question on whether the airport is safe.

Asked if there were other nationalities on the plane, Trump says yes there were and an announcement will be made in an hour.

He is later asked by a reporter if people should be hesitant to fly, and he says: "No, not at all."

Donald Trump is now asked about the helicopter's training - to which he says information will come up during the investigation into the incident.

"The helicopter was in the wrong place at the wrong time and a tragedy occurred," he says.

Another reporter is asking him a question about if he could clarify the helicopter going on a "continuity of government mission".

"I don't know what that refers to," Trump says.

The president says the helicopter was "practising, and that's something that should be done".

"It was a practice that worked out very, very badly," he adds.

A reporter puts it to Trump that he has said a couple of things during today's press briefing, including that he wasn't sure the air traffic controllers made any mistakes and suggested the helicopter pilots did.

Trump acknowledges the remark but adds "it's all under investigation".

The reporter then asks the president how he can claim at this moment that diversity hiring policies had something to do with this crash.

"Because I have common sense, and unfortunately a lot of people don't," Trump says.

Trump is back at the lectern taking questions.

A reporter asks him to clarify if he is alleging that diversity hiring policies played a role in last night's crash.

In response, Trump says: "There are things you have to go by brain power and psychological quality."

He says his administration has the highest standards, and claims the standards under the previous government were "the opposite".

He says there will be an investigation, but for air controllers, "we want the brightest, smartest, sharpest, psychologically superior" people.

Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, now takes to the podium and says he will "get to the bottom of this".

"It never should have happened," he says and gives his condolences to the passengers and crew who have died and to the three service members on routine training.

"Tragically last night, a mistake was made," he says.

He says there seems to be some sort of elevation issue and the department is investigating.

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy now takes to the podium, starting off by thanking Donald Trump for his leadership.

Duffy says that "when we deal with safety, we can only accept the best and the brightest" in jobs that affected people's lives.

The transportation secretary does not provide any specific examples of what he means by this.

He says the crash last night "should not have happened", adding that Americans should "expect to land at their destination".

"We will not accept excuses, we will not accept passing the buck," he says.

Trump says he has heard "tapes" - an apparent reference to recordings of air traffic control at the time of the incident.

He says the airliner was "doing everything right" and on the usual "track", but that "for some reason" the helicopter was at the same height and "going at an angle that was unbelievably bad".

"You had a pilot problem from the standpoint of the helicopter," the president says, without specifying what that "problem" was. He adds: "It was a very clear night."

He says he thinks more tapes will be released with visuals of the incident.

Trump then says the helicopter had the ability to stop, go up or down, or turn - "the turn it made was not the correct turn, obviously," he says.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr/BBC

A major theme of President Trump's comments during this news briefing is one that has become a significant feature of his administration so far: the fight against diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI programmes.

Trump has now - explicitly - 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.

He hasn't provided any evidence to support his claims. The Federal Aviation Administration is a large organisation with 35,000 employees - a fraction of whom are air traffic controllers.

"I don't think so," Trump says, remarking on whether he believes those hired in Buttigieg's time were qualified to safely control air traffic.

The FAA, he claims, was "ran into the ground" by DEI hires after it was determined that the agency was "too white".

For context: DEI programmes aim to promote participation in workplaces from people from different backgrounds. Backers say that they address historical or ongoing discrimination and underrepresentation of certain groups, including racial minorities, but critics argue such programmes can themselves be discriminatory.

The president is now turning his attention to policy.

Trump says that he believes that people working in air traffic control should be of the highest intelligence, that it's a job that requires the highest standards.

He points to one of the executive orders he signed upon taking office last week, which he says "restored standards" for air traffic controllers and others.

Trump says we don't know what led to this crash but "we have some very strong opinions and ideas and I think we will probably state those opinions now".

We will find out how this disaster occurred and will ensure that nothing like this ever happens again, he says, adding that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the US military will be carrying out a comprehensive investigation .

We will work tirelessly to figure out what happened, he says adding "we will state certain opinions".

He also says he is appointing an acting commissioner of the FAA.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr/BBC News

We're hearing more from Donald Trump, who has chosen to address the media directly during the first major domestic accident and crisis of his administration - which is now only in its 10th day.

Flanked by Vice President JD Vance, defence secretary Pete Hegseth and transportation secretary Sean Duffy, Trump began the news conference with a moment of silence for what he termed a "moment of anguish" before reading a statement from the podium.

"We're a country, really, in mourning," he says. "This has really shaken a lot of people."

It's rare to see Trump express much emotion, but the beginning of his comments today were starkly different, with his message today that "we're all one family".

He says he has "ideas" and theories about what happened, although he has acknowledged that the investigation is still in its early days.

Trump also took a swipe at his political foes, this time at Barack Obama for allegedly hiring "mediocre" staff for air traffic control jobs that require "superior intelligence".

Biden, he says, changed them back - putting "politics at a level that nobody has ever seen".

The president says there were Russians onboard the flight, but does not mention any other nationalities.

"We can only begin to imagine the agony that you're all feeling," he says.

He says that "our hearts are shattered alongside yours", adding that "we're here for you to wipe away the tears".

The US president says that "nothing compares to the bond of affection and loyalty" that bonds Americans and nations.

Trump says he speaks "in an hour of anguish for our nation", and the country is "in mourning".

He outlines the situation as it stands - that a commercial American Airlines plane and military Black Hawk helicopter aircraft crashed into one another and then submerged into the Potomac River.

He applauds the search and rescue operation at all levels, and says the mission is now one of recovery - that there are no survivors.

"This has really shaken a lot of people, including people very sadly, from other nations," he says.

Donald Trump takes to the podium in the White House briefing room.

He begins by saying that he'd like to take a moment of silence for the victims and their families. He then bows his head and observes that silence.

President Donald Trump is now delivering remarks at the White House. He is addressing the nation after a passenger plane and military helicopter collision that happened in Washington DC last night.

We'll be bringing you the top lines from the briefing shortly. You can also follow along by pressing watch live above.

Rachel Looker
Reporting from Washington DC

Image source, Reuters

I just watched the first flight land at Reagan Washington National Airport since the fatal crash there on Wednesday night.

This airport reopened at 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT). The Delta Air Lines flight arrived as two Southwest planes are on the tarmac preparing to take off.

The airport has seen little to no activity since the ground stop on Wednesday night.

Image source, EPA

Let's take you back to a moment from a bit earlier, when Donald Trump's defence secretary addressed last night's fatal crash in Washington in a post on X.

Speaking from his DC office at the US Pentagon, Pete Hegseth said the military helicopter involved in last night's collision had a "fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation".

Speaking in a video on X, external, he said the crew had night vision goggles and that the Department of Defense is investigating "what occurred and why".

"It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian airliner, and of course the three soldiers in that Black Hawk [helicopter]," he said.

As we wait to hear the president speak, we can bring you a short clip of the air traffic control radar which shows the moment of last night's crash.

You can see the jet and helicopter moving towards each other before eventually colliding.