WASHINGTON — The deadly collision of an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter in Washington on Wednesday has sparked concerns among members of the Western Pennsylvania congressional delegation, including critique of President Donald Trump’s assertion that lowered hiring standards and the previous administration’s diversity initiatives were to blame.
With investigations and a recovery operation underway and with nearly 70 believed to be dead, Trump suggested without evidence Thursday that the tragedy stemmed from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs that he said left the Federal Aviation Administration with less qualified workers.
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, who has criticized Trump since Day 1, was among many Democrats nationwide denouncing Trump’s DEI-focused reaction.
“Absolutely vile,” she said in a post on X. “A tragedy happens, and instead of mourning the lives lost, they use it to demonize marginalized people as they continue stripping our rights away. Not to share facts, not to offer condolences — just to push a bigoted political agenda. Disgusting.”
The crash came as the Trump administration in its first two weeks has taken aim at DEI hiring practices, training programs and offices across the federal government, making the case that they are discriminatory and that agencies should focus solely on merit.
Ms. Lee, D-Swissvale, shared a post that included a video clip of Trump telling reporters during a news conference, “[The previous administration] put a big push to put diversity into the FAA’s program.”
Trump added that the FAA has recruited people with “severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions,” per a DEI initiative spelled out on the agency’s website. He insisted the agency needed “brilliant people” who could withstand great pressure. But he did not make clear how DEI may have had a role in the crash.
Peter Alexander of NBC News said during the news conference that the policy Trump referenced was instituted in 2013, and remained on the FAA website throughout Trump’s first administration. Trump claimed he reversed Obama-era policies for the better, only for the Biden administration to undo his work.
The crash marks the first major crisis under the second Trump administration’s watch.
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, described the crash as a “terrible tragedy.”
“My heart is with the families of the passengers, crew, and servicemembers aboard the aircraft,” Mr. Deluzio, a Navy veteran, said in a statement. ”I will be digging into this lots more within my capacity as a member of both the House Armed Services Committee and the Aviation Subcommittee of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. I am grateful to the brave first responders across all levels of government for their swift response.”
The crash came a day after the new Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, took the helm and during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first week leading the Pentagon.
Trump had already initiated a hiring freeze for federal workers, including air traffic controllers, and his administration reportedly forced out the FAA head on Inauguration Day.
On Thursday, he signed yet another DEI-focused memorandum blaming the previous administration for damage to the FAA and purportedly ensuring that competence would be the chief hiring qualification.
Meanwhile, authorities are still investigating the cause of the collision — the first major commercial airplane accident involving a U.S. passenger plane since 2009.
The crash led to several canceled flights between Washington and Pittsburgh International Airport, CBS News reported.
All three helicopter crew members died, and all crew and passengers of the flight, which departed from Kansas and was carrying many figure skaters including members of the Philadelphia Skating Club, are presumed dead.
Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., posted on X that he was “watching with horror about the reported plane and helicopter crash into the Potomac. Grateful for our first responders on site and praying for the passengers and their families.”
Ms. Lee added that her “heart is heavy for the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy. May they rest in peace, and may we honor them by demanding the truth — not lies that exploit their loss to fuel hate, misogyny and white supremacy.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump on Thursday morning said it had been “a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions. As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly.”
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called Trump’s DEI-centered response to the crash “despicable.”
“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he said in a statement. “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 FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe. Time for the president to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again.”
The air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport did not have normal staffing at the time of the crash, according to an internal FAA safety report reviewed by the New York Times. A controller in the tower was effectively doing double duty — handling both helicopters and planes, according to the report.
Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, told NBC News that FAA facilities have grappled with personnel shortages for years.
Last May, Airlines for America, a trade organization representing major airlines, launched a campaign urging FAA and the Department of Transportation to “address the nation’s urgent and dire air traffic controller shortage.” The group cited FAA’s Controller Workforce Plan, showing the agency short by at least 3,000 controllers.
“We have been sounding the alarm on this issue for more than a year that our nation’s air traffic control radar facilities are understaffed and overworked,” Nicholas Calio, Airlines for America president and CEO, said at the time.
The FAA last year documented almost 1,800 “runway incursions,” including a few near misses at Reagan, a busy airport in Arlington, Va., just outside of Washington.
“While these events are incredibly rare, our safety system is showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore,” Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told lawmakers in 2023.
Mr. Hegseth told reporters the helicopter was on a routine training flight and that a “mistake was made.”
Trump posted on Truth Social Friday morning that, “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”
Mr. Hegseth said he believed the president was right about “some sort of an elevation issue,” which is being investigated by the Army.
“Army [Criminal Investigation Division] is on the ground investigating, top-tier aviation assets inside the DOD are investigating, to get to the bottom of it so it does not happen again, because it’s absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
First Published: January 31, 2025, 4:07 p.m.
Updated: February 1, 2025, 3:23 a.m.
