WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump implied without evidence federal diversity efforts were at fault on Thursday after a regional jet crashed into a U.S. Army helicopter at a Washington airport, killing 67 people in the deadliest U.S. 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.
U.S. 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 approach jet and ordered it to change course. There is no evidence that efforts to make the federal workforce more diverse have compromised air safety.
At a White House news conference, Trump criticized 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 U.S. 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. (Reuters)
