*

Trump claims Black Hawk was flying above altitude limit

*

Investigation ongoing, Army urges caution and patience

*

Helicopter had experienced crew, recorder yet to be

retrieved

(Adds army official's remarks in paragraph 5, U.S. Defense

Secretary Hegseth in paragraphs 6-7, details on investigation in

paragraphs 11-12)

By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald

Trump said on Friday the Army Black Hawk helicopter that

collided with a regional passenger jet in Washington, D.C., was

flying too high at the time of the accident, in what appeared to

be a major disclosure about the investigation.

U.S. military helicopters regularly fly a route over the

Potomac River near the busy Ronald Reagan Washington National

Airport, known as Route 4. For safety reasons, the altitude on

those helicopter flights is capped at 200 feet (61 meters).

"The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It

was far above the 200 foot limit. That's not really too

complicated to understand, is it???" Trump said in a Truth

Social post.

The Army did not immediately respond to a request for

comment.

The crash, in which 67 people died, remains under

investigation by federal transportation authorities. An Army

official, speaking on condition of anonymity, urged caution and

patience as the investigation continues.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has acknowledged there

may have been an elevation issue with the Black Hawk. But,

speaking earlier on Friday, before Trump's remarks, he said it

was still inconclusive.

"We're looking at altitude, and the president was clear

about that: someone was at the wrong altitude. The investigation

will help us understand that. Was the Black Hawk too high, was

it on course? Right now, we don't quite know," he told Fox News

in an interview.

Hegseth and the Army have said the three-member crew of

soldiers on the Black Hawk were experienced. The Army said the

instructor pilot, who was the designated pilot in command, had

1,000 flying hours while the other pilot had 500 hours.

The third soldier was a crew chief, typically riding in the

back of the helicopter.

The helicopter was from the 12th Aviation Battalion,

which is based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The unit is

responsible for helicopter flights in the U.S. capital area and

regularly transports senior U.S. government officials.

Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation

Safety Board, said investigators have been told that the Black

Hawk will have had a recorder on it. They were not sure if it

was a combined data and voice recorder because it was a military

craft, he said.

"But we are told that there is one on board. We have not

retrieved it yet, but we feel comfortable knowing where it's

at," Inman said in an interview with CNN.