Tragedy Strikes Washington: 67 Killed in Mid-Air Collision
Investigation Underway
On Thursday, investigators recovered the black boxes from a passenger plane that collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, killing 67 people. The crash occurred as the plane, operated by an American Airlines subsidiary, was about to land at Reagan National Airport. The helicopter, an Army Black Hawk, was on a routine training mission.
Trump Blames Diversity and Inclusion Policies
US President Donald Trump launched a political attack, blaming diversity and inclusion policies championed by his Democratic predecessors for causing the incident. Trump’s politicization of the tragedy came as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier jet.
NTSB Investigation
The NTSB said in a statement that the recorders are at the agency’s labs for evaluation. According to a New York Times report, staffing was thin in the control tower at Reagan National Airport, where the airliner was about to land when the collision occurred. One controller, rather than the usual two, was handling both plane and helicopter traffic.
Rescue Efforts
A fireball erupted in the night sky, and both aircraft tumbled into the icy Potomac, leaving rescue crews with the grim task of searching for bodies in the dark and cold. Over 40 bodies had been recovered as of Thursday evening, according to US media reports.
Victims
Among those on the airliner were several US skaters and coaches, US Figure Skating said. Officials in Moscow also confirmed the presence of Russian couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the 1994 world pairs title. Two Chinese citizens were also among the victims of the crash, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Trump’s Comments
Trump, who took office 10 days ago, turned a press conference on the disaster into a platform for his crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI. Accusing his Democratic predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama of having kept good employees out of the aviation agency in pursuit of DEI, he claimed: "They actually came out with a directive: ‘too white.’ And we want the people that are competent."
Reactions
Buttigieg responded, calling Trump "despicable." "As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying," he said. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy posted that Trump’s comments "blaming the FAA’s hiring of women and black people for the crash — was disgusting." "He’s in charge. This happened on his watch," Murphy said.
Conclusion
The crash is the first major aviation disaster in the United States since 2009, and the investigation is ongoing. The incident highlights the importance of safety measures in the aviation industry and the need for effective communication between air traffic controllers and pilots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What caused the mid-air collision?
A: The cause of the collision is still under investigation.
Q: How many people were killed in the crash?
A: 67 people were killed in the crash.
Q: What was the condition of the weather at the time of the crash?
A: The weather was clear, with good visibility.
Q: What was the experience level of the helicopter crew?
A: The helicopter crew had a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation.
Q: What is the status of the investigation?
A: The investigation is ongoing, and the NTSB is working to determine the cause of the crash.