During an event on Thursday, President Donald Trump attributed the recent fatal collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter to an outdated computer system utilized by U.S. air traffic controllers, dubbing it “obsolete.” He pledged to replace the system, emphasizing that numerous errors occurred on January 29 when an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into an Army helicopter as it was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, resulting in the loss of all 67 individuals onboard both aircraft.
Initially, Trump had pointed fingers at diversity hiring initiatives for the accident, but he shifted the blame to the air traffic control computer system during a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol. He expressed disbelief at the incident and proposed the implementation of a modern computerized system for control towers, highlighting the need for a fresh, unified system rather than patchwork solutions. Trump criticized the country’s expenditure of billions to upgrade an antiquated system instead of investing in a new one, citing personal experience wherein his pilot prefers to use a foreign system when landing his private jet due to the inadequacy of the existing setup.
Government officials have long raised concerns about the strained and understaffed air traffic control system, primarily due to issues such as low pay, extended shifts, rigorous training, and compulsory retirements. Trump asserted that with a more advanced system in place, alarms would have alerted the controller when the Black Hawk helicopter, engaged in a training exercise, approached the same altitude as the plane.
However, an FAA report post-incident revealed that the controller did receive a warning when the plane and helicopter were still over a mile apart. The controller instructed the helicopter to maneuver behind the plane after confirming visual contact, to which the helicopter responded affirmatively. Investigations are ongoing to pinpoint the exact altitudes of the aircraft, with data suggesting discrepancies in altitude readings between the two.
Further analysis is contingent upon the recovery of the Black Hawk wreckage, submerged at the crash site. The crash marks the deadliest aviation incident in the U.S. since November 12, 2001, underscoring the urgency to address system deficiencies and bolster air traffic control effectiveness.
During their meeting on Thursday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association informed its members that specific roles within the Federal Aviation Administration, including their own, were considered exempt. The association further explained in an email to its members that certain positions could also be exempted depending on the employees’ level of “national security or public safety responsibilities.” Prior to this announcement, the union had advised its members to decline the offers that were made the day before the midair collision occurred. The information in this report was contributed by Aamer Madhani, Adriana Gomez Licon, and Thomas Beaumont from the Associated Press.
