President Donald Trump has linked the fatal mid-air collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet in Washington, D.C., to what he called a diversity hiring spree in the aviation industry. The crash, which occurred near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday evening, resulted in 67 deaths, with no survivors.
During a press briefing, Trump criticized the Biden administration, alleging that FAA diversity hiring policies had compromised safety standards. He claimed that the agency had reduced qualification requirements in an effort to increase diversity, hiring employees with “severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities” as air traffic controllers.
“I put safety first,” Trump stated. “Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put politics ahead of policy, and this was the lowest level of decision-making we’ve seen.”
The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, which was on final approach to Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport around 8:47 PM (local time). The passenger jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and the military aircraft both plunged into the icy Potomac River, killing all 67 people on board. Recovery teams have since been working to retrieve the bodies of the victims, with no survivors found.
A preliminary FAA report obtained by The New York Times indicated that staffing at the air traffic control tower was “not normal” at the time of the crash. The report revealed that the controller responsible for helicopters in the airport’s vicinity was also handling landing and departing planes, a task typically assigned to two separate controllers. This revelation has raised questions about whether controller workload and air traffic mismanagement played a role in the tragedy.
When asked why he linked the crash to diversity hiring, Trump responded: “Because I have common sense, and unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.”
The crash claimed the lives of all crew members and passengers on both aircraft. Among the victims were highly trained pilots and military personnel with years of aviation experience.
American Airlines Flight 5342 was piloted by Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, a seasoned pilot born in New York and raised in Florida. Campos was certified as an instructor in 2017 and became a commercial airline pilot in 2018 after attending the Epic Flight Academy. His first officer was Samuel Lilley, 29, a Savannah, Georgia native, who had recently gotten engaged and was just months away from a promotion to captain. His father, Timothy Lilley, a former military pilot, confirmed his background and expressed deep grief over his loss.
The U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter was piloted by Andrew Eaves, a U.S. Army pilot with extensive military flight experience. Crew Chief Ryan O’Hara, a Georgia native, was also among the victims. Authorities have not publicly disclosed specific details regarding the ethnic or diversity backgrounds of the pilots involved.
Trump cited an FAA special emphasis recruitment program, which promoted the hiring of individuals with hearing and vision impairments, missing extremities, paralysis, epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, psychiatric conditions, and dwarfism. Reports indicate that these guidelines were updated in March 2022 under the Biden administration. Last week, Trump signed an executive order banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and ordering a return to merit-based hiring within the FAA.
Trump announced that a “systematic and comprehensive investigation” into the crash would be conducted by the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the U.S. military. He also suggested that pilot error from the military helicopter may have played a role in the collision, stating that the Black Hawk had done “the opposite of what it was told” and questioning why both aircraft were at the same altitude. He praised the American Airlines pilot, saying they had followed all protocols.
Rescue teams continued their search and recovery operations on Thursday, with bodies being pulled from the freezing Potomac River. At least 28 bodies have been recovered so far, with emergency responders working to retrieve all 67 victims. Among those killed were U.S. and Russian figure skaters who had participated in a skating competition in Wichita.
The FAA and air traffic control management have come under scrutiny following revelations that staffing shortages and possible mismanagement may have contributed to the crash. The internal FAA report noted that the controller overseeing helicopters was also handling runway operations, an unusual workload for a single person.
There was no FAA administrator at the time of the crash, as Mike Whitaker had resigned on Trump’s inauguration day after just over a year in office. On Thursday, Trump appointed Chris Rocheleau, a U.S. Air Force veteran with over 20 years of experience in the FAA, to fill the role.
Trump also took aim at Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, blaming him for mismanaging the FAA and prioritizing diversity over safety.
“Pete Buttigieg was a disaster. He ran the FAA right into the ground with his diversity agenda,” Trump stated.
In response, Buttigieg called Trump’s comments “despicable”, accusing him of spreading misinformation.
“President Trump now oversees both the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend key personnel who helped keep our skies safe,” Buttigieg said.
According to air traffic control records, American Airlines Flight 5342 was originally cleared to land on Runway 1 at Reagan National Airport. However, moments before the crash, controllers instructed the flight to switch to Runway 33, where the collision occurred. Investigators are analyzing whether this last-minute runway change played a role in the incident.
Flights at Reagan National Airport resumed Thursday morning, with the first departures and arrivals occurring just after 11:00 AM (local time). No black boxes have been recovered yet, according to officials, making the investigation into the exact cause of the crash more difficult.
