Conspiracy Theories Claim Black Hawk Chopper Was Rehearsing Trump's Evacuation Before Collision with American Airlines Jet.
A tragic collision between a military Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 on Wednesday night has sparked wild conspiracy theories, with some online sleuths suggesting that the helicopter was involved in rehearsing an evacuation route for President Trump to a nuclear bunker.
The incident occurred around 9pm as American Airlines Flight 5342, carrying four crew members and 60 passengers, was approaching Washington's Reagan National Airport. The Black Hawk helicopter, which was conducting a night training exercise as part of a Continuity of Government (COG) mission, collided with the plane before both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, resulting in the deaths of 67 people. The helicopter was carrying three soldiers during the exercise, which was described by Pete Hegseth, Trump's defence secretary, as a "routine" operation. "The military does dangerous things. It does routine things on a regular basis. Tragically, last night, a mistake was made," Hegseth said.
Despite the official explanation, conspiracy theorists quickly turned to social media, claiming that the crash was not an accident but rather an intentional act, suggesting that military helicopters are not known to fly into civilian aircraft. A growing number of these theorists have posited that the helicopter was engaged in a secretive mission to rehearse President Trump's evacuation route to a secure location, such as a classified nuclear bunker, as part of a larger COG contingency.
A COG mission in the U.S. refers to a series of policies and procedures designed to ensure that government functions can continue in the event of a catastrophe, such as a nuclear attack or other major crisis. One crucial aspect of these operations involves safeguarding key personnel, which has led many to speculate that the helicopter’s mission was linked to this protocol, possibly involving an emergency evacuation of the president.
"CIA has a long history of plotting and executing air disasters. You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to find a Black Hawk on a vaguely defined CoG mission striking an airliner sus as hell," one X/Twitter user posted, suggesting the collision was far from accidental.
Another user questioned the rationale behind the helicopter’s flight path, asking, “What the hell were they doing in the tower? Why was a damn Black Hawk helicopter flying a COG training mission in civilian airspace on a Wednesday?”
Further speculation emerged regarding the possibility of a hidden weapon being on the plane, with one user commenting, “If the Black Hawk indeed was on a COG mission, was there a weapon hidden on the plane that needed to be neutralized before it landed? The good of the many outweighing the good of the few...”
Another social media user expressed disbelief at the location of the exercise, stating, “This isn’t about DEI. You should be asking why a Black Hawk is doing COG exercises at one of the busiest airports in the air.”
The incident has sparked a wide array of conspiracy theories, with some alleging that the helicopter appeared to be “chasing” the Bombardier plane as it approached the airport for landing, drawing comparisons to a "1970s-style assassination." Other theorists have demanded to know who was aboard the passenger plane, speculating that the incident might have been a "targeted hit."
Further conspiracy-fueled comments claim that trained pilots would have known how to avoid such a collision, adding to the suspicions surrounding the crash.
As the investigation continues, these conspiracy theories persist, with many questioning the official explanation of the tragic event.
