Fox News
President Donald Trump set his sights on DEI standards at the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday after a deadly in-air collision at the nation’s capital.
Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, highlighted efforts by the Biden administration to lower aviation standards, though he acknowledged that the cause of Wednesday night’s crash has yet to be determined.
“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump said. “Only the highest aptitude – you have to be the highest intellect – and psychologically superior people, were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers.” More
Not having the opportunity to listen to Buckwheat telling us it’s Climate Change is racist
Trump should keep his mouth shut and let the investigation happen without him breathing over everyone’s shoulders. Obama got shit for second-guessing that cop who arrested or otherwise upset some black guy.
Earl
Trump wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t already know it was true.
we need people who are mentally & physically unable to do this work so we can sk dei dk – sniffer j. obiden
Great that he is going to make surecwe get good, quick answers, but not the best thing to speculate or make it all political…especially for your FIRST comments. Indeed, hiring to check boxes, none of which are “competent,” MUST be pointed out, but tie it to actual findings and not just to make political points while families are grieving.
Bad_Brad
I’m not sure it was an ATC DEI fail in this case. From what I heard, it sounds like the ATC was doing everything in his power to make the helo GTFO, but the helo was doing everything it could to make itself a mortal threat.
If there was any DEI involved , it would appear to have originated in the helo cockpit. Keep in mind that while DEI runs roughshod over competence, it also discounts psychological fitness, and in this case the DEI fail might be on the hiring, screening and training policies of the military, or whatever agency operated the helo.
I agree with Earl that now is not the time to make the DEI argument, even if PDT knows something we don’t.
Thirdtwin
Here’s what I remember hearing from last nights news coverage. I heard an ATC person ask the Black hawk if the visibly could see the lights from the big ass plane that was coming towards them. To my knowledge that’s not what ATC peeps do. ATC would issue precise evasive action to perform immediately. Further more it was later reported on FOX News that ATC peeps instructed the Black hawk to fall in behind the airliner and land behind him. Which makes no sense at all considering the position of the helo. And now we have audio of an ATC guy telling them to return to base. WTF? In my mind this is an easy call. You agree with Earl. I’ll agree with Trump.
destroying everything (in) sight
I work for FAA Tech Ops, which is part of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO). I can’t speak for the controllers at that airport, but the ones where I work all seem highly professional as well as intelligent. I’ve seen those emails about hiring the seriously disabled, but none are where I am.
I am very happy with most things our new president has done, but he really needs to engage the brakes a bit before making inflammatory comments about ATC.
destroying everything intentionally
dindus evading incarceration
I will also add that we are also very understaffed with mandatory overtime for controllers. Part of this is a backlog caused by the shutdown of the training academy in Oklahoma City during the PanicDemic. It takes about two years of OJT to get a reasonably trained controller after formal instruction. The ATO is one part of the Federal government that need a big increase in hiring, including in Technical Operations. We maintain all the NAS (National Airspace) equipment including radars, radios and instrument landing systems.
NIdahoOrthodox
Serious question. Yes or no is good. Would any of the folks you’ve worked with allow a helo to loiter around the approach path to a runway? Would they even allow that helo to get within a mile of that area?
What’s “Not Normal” mean?
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/breaking-initial-faa-report-indicates-staffing-air-traffic/
Brad. No, they would not. We have a small air national guard base near the tower, as well as periodic application of weed spray by helo but none of it occurs near landing flights.
NIdahoOrthodox
I just texted my brother in law who’s a recently retired Southwest Captain, and flown in and out of that airport a bazillion times. The tower never should have let that aircraft within 5 miles of approach. Tower should have shut it down and got everyone in the air until they got the Helo the hell out of there. ATC shuts off at 980 feet elevation. The pilot of the airliner was pretty defenseless.
Who feels comfortable boarding a domestic flight after this disaster?
CTH take on the air disaster, he gives a good summary how what the ATC directed the airliner just before the midair collision.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/30/president-trump-delivers-remarks-to-press-on-dc-aviation-disaster/#more-268706
This video is really interesting. You can hear the ATC calls to the passenger jet and watch as the pilot follows directions to change runways. You can also watch on a radar screen as the helicopter, PAT flies into the landing aircrafts flight path.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiOybe-NJHk
My opinion after watching the video, no one is paying attention to or controlling the helicopter until they start to realize it’s too damn late.
There’s another video of a separate team of controllers communicating with the helicopter, PAT-25.
See what you think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r90Xw3tQC0I
Bad_Brad, I remember hearing (could be wrong) the ATC tell the helo to “pass behind” the jet, which is not the same as “follow”. More of a right of way command, I think. Andcwhat I heard was the ATC asking the helo if he saw the jet passing in front of him, not coming towards him. There’s no way the helo couldn’t see that freight train landing light.
And O’m not necessarily saying I disagree with PDT about DEI ruining ATC operations, just that it was not the proper time or place to make that specific charge. To my mind, the ATC guy was a victim of DEI himself, as he was probably quite competent, but was put in a bad situation by asinine, dangerous DEI policy.
And I know that airport is convenient to the denizens of DC, but something has got to give. Do we really need helos buzzing all around there so much? Maybe the VIPs need to catch their helicopter rides somewhere else, and leave the lower skies of DC to the police helicopters. I remember when I was in DC in 2011, I was amazed by the number of SUV convoys racing through the city streets and running lights with police escorts. Maybe the same thong is going on in the air, and maybe this kind of accident was bound to happen with the addition of DEI to such close quarters and swamp entitlement.
Ex Sec. Buttplug’s department. Last 4 years a master class in incompetence.