A US military helicopter collided with a passenger jet near Reagan National Airport in Washington DC, USA. After this, the plane broke into two pieces and fell into the river. 67 people were killed in the accident. It is being claimed on social media that the helicopter was being flown by a transgender pilot.
After the fierce collision between the US Army's Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet in the US capital Washington, a round of speculations and claims has begun. One such claim is being made that the Black Hawk helicopter which collided with the passenger plane was being flown by a transgender pilot. All 67 people on board both the aircraft were killed in this plane crash. In the claims on social media, Virginia Army National Guard soldier Joe Ellis was said to be the pilot of the helicopter. Fed up with the online claims, Joe Ellis himself had to come forward on social media and give clarification.
Proof of being alive given on video post
Ellis posted her video on social media and told that she is alive and she did not fly the crashed helicopter. In the video, she said, 'I know that some people have linked me to the accident in DC and this is wrong.' She further said, 'Trying to link it to some kind of political agenda is an insult to the families. They do not deserve it. I do not deserve it.'
Claims started after Trump's statement
After the passenger jet crash, many claims were made that the helicopter involved in the passenger plane crash was being flown by a transgender pilot. These rumors started after Donald Trump's statement, in which he blamed the diversity policy for the accident. A post on January 31 (now deleted) claimed that 'Black Hawk helicopter pilot involved in Washington DC Reagan National Airport plane crash has been identified as transgender military pilot Joe Ellis.'
The post further said that reports suggest that Ellis tried to fly three other passenger planes before colliding with American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac. A day before the accident, Ellis appeared on a podcast in which he criticized Trump's military trans ban.