Washington Plane Collision Leaves No Survivors
On January 30, an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter collided with one another in Washington D.C.
The plane, crashing down into the Potomac River, had no reported survivors as well as the helicopter. On board the flight were 64 people, some of which returning home to see family, as well as the helicopter carrying three soldiers. The American Airlines plane was departing from Wichita, Kansas, carrying various passengers from teachers, a civil right attorney, a group of friends going hunting, families on vacation, figure skating athletes and coaches, and more. This is, according to CNN US, the deadliest US aviation disaster since 2001.
President Donald Trump remarked at a briefing that diversity hiring was at fault for the crash despite no evidence being given for the claim. He added that air traffic controllers, “can’t have regular people doing their job” insinuating that DEI causes safety concerns from within despite his words being baseless.
Trump also complained about Pete Buttigieg, former president Joe Biden’s transportation secretary, calling him “a disaster”. Many news and accounts online commenting that the president’s controversial words and profanity are disrespectful to say the least.
The ongoing investigation over the exact cause of the crash has reports from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reporting that the helicopter crew may have miscommunicated altitudes and instructions, affecting their flying capabilities. The crew was supposedly told to pass behind the aircraft and didn’t hear.
The likelihood of night vision goggles being worn by the Black Hawk crew also weighed in as a factor, as reported by National Transportation Safety Board Chairperson, Jennifer Homendy. Safety protocols and visibility studies are being put into effect during the investigation to see what the helicopter pilots saw. So far, no word is certain.
