
U.K. in Talks to Allow Resumption of PIA Flights
Delegates from the U.K.’s Department of Transportation and Civil Aviation Authority have arrived in Pakistan this week to discuss resuming…
Newly-appointed Transportation Secretary says the accident was preventable.
A PSA Airlines CRJ-700 (Photo: Shutterstock | BravoKiloPhoto)
President Donald Trump said during a Thursday press conference that DEI hiring policies were to blame for Wednesday’s aircraft collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
He said the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the U.S. military were carrying out a systematic investigation into the cause of the incident.
“The work has now shifted to a recovery mission,” Trump said. “Sadly there were no survivors. … As one nation we grieve for every precious soul that was taken from us so suddenly.”
Trump lambasted former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s policies at the Department of Transportation.
“Do you know how badly everything’s run since [Buttigieg] has run the Department of Transportation?” Trump said. “He’s a disaster. He was a disaster as a mayor, he ran his city into the ground. And he’s a disaster now, he’s just got a good line of bulls***.”
Trump said that under Buttigieg, the Federal Aviation Administration was prioritizing recruiting workers who “suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions.”
“Last week, long before the crash I signed an executive order restoring our highest standards for air traffic controllers and other important jobs throughout the country,” Trump said. “… . My administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety. We have to have our smartest people [doing that job].”
Buttigieg posted a response to Trump’s comments on X saying the president “should be leading, not lying.”
“Despicable,” Buttigieg wrote. “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”
Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.
President Trump now oversees the military and the…— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 30, 2025
During the press conference, Trump speculated that the CRJ-700 pilot was “doing everything right,” whereas the Black Hawk helicopter had a “pilot problem.”
“We had a situation where we had a helicopter that had the ability to stop,” Trump said. “… The turn it made was not the correct turn, obviously. And it did somewhat the opposite of what it was told.”
“You had a confluence of bad decisions that were made,” he continued.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during the conference that when it comes to safety, the DOT can only accept the “best and the brightest.” The recently appointed DOT head has been on the job for just two days now.
“We will have the best and brightest in every position possible,” added Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. “… . The era of DEI is gone at the defense department, and we need the best and the brightest, whether it’s in our air traffic control, or whether it’s in our generals or whether it’s throughout government.”
All 64 people aboard American Airlines flight 5342 are presumed to be dead. Hegseth identified the ranks of the three soldiers killed in the crash as a captain, a staff sergeant, and a chief warrant officer.
Crash site in the Potomac River (Photo: Getty Images | Win McNamee)
In an earlier press conference hosted by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Thursday morning, Duffy said he believed the deadly crash was “absolutely” preventable.
His comment aligned with President Trump’s social media post stating that the crash “should have been prevented.”
Duffy told reporters that both the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American flight were operating “standard” flight patterns when they crashed into each other near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
“Last night, if you live in the D.C. area, you would know that this was a clear night last night,” Duffy said. “The helicopter was in a standard pattern. If you live in the D.C. area, you’ll see helicopters up and down the river … The American Airlines flight coming in to land was in a standard flight pattern as it was coming into DCA.”
He said it was common for the two types of aircraft to operate simultaneously over the river and near the airport. He also said that safety is paramount.
“Safety is our expectation,” Duffy said. “Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely – that when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn’t happen last night. And I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA and DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly, you are safe.”
Caleb Revill is a journalist, writer and lifelong learner working as a Junior Writer for Firecrown. When he isn't tackling breaking news, Caleb is on the lookout for fascinating feature stories. Every person has a story to tell, and Caleb wants to help share them! He can be contacted by email anytime at [email protected].
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