One employee instead of two was coordinating the flight of an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter that collided near Washington, D.C. (media).
On the day an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter near Washington, D.C., the airport was short of air traffic controllers.
The New York Times and the Associated Press reported this, based on a report by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
The report said that at the time of the crash, which killed 67 people, the employee in charge of coordinating helicopter traffic was simultaneously giving instructions to arriving and departing planes.
Staffing shortages
By rule, these duties are shared between two dispatchers. But in practice, as of 9:30 p.m., when air traffic slows down, one staff member is left on shift. On Wednesday, the tower supervisor reportedly ordered this to happen earlier – before the crash.
“The configuration of posts was not normal for this time of day and traffic volume,” the report said.
However, an unnamed person familiar with the matter told the AP that tower staffing was normal that night. He explained that dispatchers routinely combine posts when they need to step away from the console for a break, during a shift change or when there is low air traffic.
Either way, the Federal Aviation Administration has long been known to try to address staffing shortages.
Inclusion programs
Meanwhile, Donald Trump claimed responsibility for what happened to the previous administration. In particular, the US President believes that the implementation of inclusiveness programs led to the disaster.
“Something very bad happened – something that should not have happened,” the US President told journalists during a briefing at the White House.
Trump said the Biden administration encouraged the Federal Aviation Administration to hire workers “with severe intellectual disabilities, mental health problems, and other mental and physical illnesses as part of a diversity and inclusion-focused hiring initiative.”
He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision problems, as well as those with paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”
Trump did not cite any evidence that underqualified people are being appointed to critical positions such as air traffic controller. He also acknowledged that there is no information yet to point to mistakes by Reagan Airport employees.
The American leader complained about former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigich, who competed with him for the presidency in 2020. The current head of the White House characterized the work of the minister as “disastrous”.
That one responded with a post on X’s website, calling Trump’s comments “disgusting.”
“While families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he added.
Black boxes found
A federal investigation is underway, but it could take several months. Investigators told reporters they would not speculate on the cause of the collision.
Divers brought the black boxes to the surface Thursday night. The flight voice recorder and flight data recorder are being analyzed in laboratories.
According to Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly, the plane was found upside down in the water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found. Rescuers are combing the Potomac River. So far, the bodies of 40 people have been found.
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