Trump criticises diversity hiring after 67 dead in US air disaster

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump implied without evidence federal diversity efforts were at fault on Thursday (Jan 30) after a regional jet crashed into a US Army helicopter at a Washington airport, killing 67 people in the deadliest US air disaster in more than 20 years.

The investigation into the crash in the nation's capital has just begun and it was not yet clear why the American Airlines Bombardier carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with the Army Black Hawk helicopter as it prepared to land at Reagan Washington National Airport.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said both aircraft had been flying standard flight patterns and there had been no breakdown in communication.

Radio communications show that air traffic controllers alerted the helicopter about the approaching jet and ordered it to change course. There is no evidence that efforts to make the federal workforce more diverse have compromised air safety.

"I've not seen one shred of evidence to support anything that he said. So we need to sit back and let the professional investigators from the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) do their jobs and keep politics out of this investigation," said US-based air safety expert Anthony Brickhouse.

At a White House news conference, Trump criticised the helicopter pilots and said he did not know for sure whether the air traffic controllers involved were to blame.

"We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas," he said.

Airspace is frequently crowded in the US capital region, home to three commercial airports and several major military facilities, and officials have raised concerns about busy runways at Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington. There have been several near-miss incidents that have sparked alarm, including a near-collision in May 2024.

Brickhouse told CNA's Asia First on Friday that while he was saddened by the news, he was not surprised. He cited the close calls that were averted.

"Last night, those dominoes lined up, those holes in the Swiss cheese - as we sometimes talk about it - lined up, and we unfortunately had disaster," he added.

A shortage of air traffic controllers in the United States in recent years has spurred safety concerns.

Hopefully, the accident will put a spotlight on the manpower problem, and lead to more air traffic controllers being hired and trained across the country, Brickhouse added.

Trump accused his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden of lowering hiring standards and suggested the Federal Aviation Administration's diversity push could have weakened its capabilities.

Asked if the crash was caused by diversity hiring, he said: "It just could have been." The administration has not provided any proof to back these assertions.

Trump has moved quickly to quash federal diversity initiatives since taking office on Jan 20, drawing criticism from rights advocates who fear he is rolling back progress the United States has made to overcome its history of discrimination.

Trump read from what he described as an FAA document stating that physical and mental disabilities would not on their own disqualify applicants from a controller's position.

That document was released in 2013 and remained online through Trump's initial 2017-2021 White House term, according to aides to Biden's transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg responded to Trump on X, calling his remarks despicable. "As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying."

CRASH CAUSE UNCLEAR

Trump's remarks contrasted sharply with those of other officials, who said there was no immediate indication why the crash took place.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the pilot of the American Eagle Flight 5342 had about six years of flying experience. The Bombardier CRJ-700 jet was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary. It carried 60 passengers and four crew members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the helicopter was flown by a "fairly experienced crew" of three soldiers who were wearing night-vision goggles on an annual proficiency training flight. Officials said they were grounding other flights from the Army unit involved in the crash and would reevaluate training exercises in the region.

"A FIREBALL"

Seconds later, another aircraft calls in to air traffic control, saying, "Tower, did you see that?" - referring to the crash. An air traffic controller then redirects planes heading to runway 33 to go around.

"I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river," an air traffic controller says.

Webcam video of the crash showed the collision and an explosion lighting up the night sky.

The ice skaters on board were returning from a training camp in Wichita, governing body US Figure Skating said.

Reagan National's main runway is the busiest in the United States, with over 800 daily takeoffs and landings. The National Transportation Safety Board has investigated nine accidents or incidents at the airport this century, including two that were fatal, records show.

The airport is only two miles from the White House and half a mile from the Pentagon, where 189 people died when Al Qaeda hijackers crashed American Airlines flight 77 on Sep 11, 2001.

US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said he had long been concerned about the busy airspace, where civilian and military aircraft must navigate the unique security concerns of the US capital.

"I’ve been praying that there wouldn’t be something like last night but kind of dreading in my heart that there would be," he told reporters.

It may take an accident for sweeping changes to be made to improve safety in the industry, Brickhouse told CNA.

"As an investigator, as a safety professional, that's really frustrating, because ideally you want to fix problems before they cause an accident. But because the world is watching, I'm sure we will see some sweeping changes to hopefully prevent this from happening again," he said.