The pilot of the Black Hawk that crashed into a passenger jet in January, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft, failed to turn the military helicopter when advised to do so by her co-pilot, according to a new report.
On Sunday, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/business/dc-plane-crash-reagan-airport.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> new details on various &#8220;failures&#8221; underlying the mid-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a>, which happened over the Potomac River in the Washington, D.C., area.
In the final moments, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, who was piloting the Army Black Hawk Helicopter involved in the crash, was told by her co-pilot and instructor, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, that he believed air traffic control wanted them to turn left to avoid the American Airlines passenger jet as it was about to land at Reagan National Airport.
&#8220;Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet,&#8221; the New York Times report said. &#8220;She did not turn left.&#8221;
Investigators &#8220;might never know why&#8221; Lobach continued flying the helicopter straight, the report asserted.
&#8220;There is no indication that she was suffering from health issues at the time or that a medical event affected her during those final moments aboard the Black Hawk, according to friends and people familiar with the crash investigation, which included autopsies and performance log reviews,&#8221; it said.
As noted in the report, there were other issues underlying the deadly incident, including those related to the helicopter&#8217;s altitude and radio communications.
The air traffic controller had contacted the Black Hawk, asking if its crew had seen the passenger jet, according to the report. Eaves said they saw &#8220;traffic&#8221; and requested permission for &#8220;visual separation&#8221; that would allow the helicopter to maneuver around it.
But cockpit voice recordings &#8220;indicate&#8221; the controller&#8217;s command for the Black Hawk to &#8220;pass behind&#8221; the passenger jet may not have been heard by the military helicopter crew because of a &#8220;bleep-out&#8221; when they activated their microphone.
Two seconds after the controller&#8217;s cut-out instruction, Eaves again communicated that the helicopter had the jet in its sights and sought the go-ahead for visual separation. In their last communication, the controller replied, &#8220;Vis sep approved.&#8221; That&#8217;s when, with 15 seconds to go, Eaves told Lobach that he believed air traffic control had given them the go-ahead to turn.

Emergency Crews Respond To Aircraft Crash Near Reagan National Airport

New Revelation From Deadly Mid-Air Collision: Black Hawk Pilot Failed To Turn When Advised

Air Travel

Military

U.S.

Washington D.C.

Earlier Friday, a small plane crashed in Boca Raton, Florida, killing the three people on board and injuring one man on the ground, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Cessna 310R that took off from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee International Airport and crashed less than 20 minutes into its flight.
All three people aboard the small plane were killed, while one man on the ground sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Michael LaSalle, assistant fire chief for Boca Fire Rescue, said the plane &#8220;had apparently some mechanical issues and went down here on Military Trail.&#8221; He added, &#8220;He hit a tree because of all the debris and the fire.&#8221;
A witness recalled seeing the aircraft flying uncommonly close to nearby buildings, appearing as though it might clip the roof of one structure before it veered off.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST IN: A plane has crashed in Boca Raton, Florida resulting in three de*ths, according to local news reports.
The plane was approaching Boca Raton Airport with “mechanical issues,” according to Boca News Now.
Fire rescue was reportedly on “alert” as the plane was nearing the… <a href="https://t.co/ST3oGmOsgv">pic.twitter.com/ST3oGmOsgv</a>
&mdash; Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1910712201117392996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I saw the plane, basically, turn, come back, and I heard it and saw it go over our building,&#8221; Dillon Smith <a href="https://www.wpbf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> to local West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF.
Smith describes momentarily losing sight of the plane, but said it then &#8220;came back — it was looking like maybe it was going toward the [nearby Boca Raton] airport.&#8221;
&#8220;I just saw it drop below the trees&#8221; and &#8220;heard a boom,&#8221; Smith said. The office windows shook violently and he saw a &#8220;fireball.”
Footage taken after the incident shows the plane’s wreckage situated on railroad tracks adjacent to a heavily traveled roadway.
The flames ignited by the crash were extinguished by first responders, who arrived on the scene to address both the blaze and assist the injured driver.
Authorities confirmed that the individual in the vehicle was transported to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are <a href="https://x.com/NTSB_Newsroom/status/1910762941743276075">reviewing</a> data from the flight and examining the wreckage to determine why the plane experienced difficulties shortly after taking off.
Local officials have also cordoned off a wide area around the crash site to collect further evidence and ensure there are no additional safety threats.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities,” Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer <a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-plane-crash-florida-boca-raton-84f2a5d7874a4daaeaafd92d2295b974?taid=67f94feb645bb30001316a84&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">said</a> in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue.”

US-NEWS-FLA-BOCA-RATON-PLANE-CRASH-FL

Small Plane Crashes On Busy Florida Road, Killing All Three On Board

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

General

Plane Crash

Six people were killed when a Bell 206 helicopter fell from the sky and crashed in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-helicopter-crash-e0368ea529659ee1513d92dcbf05a28d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<a href="https://x.com/xpertcommander/status/1910424640595312989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Video</a> posted on social media showed the chopper falling into the water after it appeared to lose its propellers mid-air. Emergency crews responded to the crash after the fire department said it received a call at 3:17 p.m. ET.
Witnesses told <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/10/us-news/helicopter-crashes-into-hudson-river-near-pier-40-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post</a> that the helicopter &#8220;split in half&#8221; in the air before crashing into the water near Pier 40 on West Hudson Street. There was one pilot and five passengers on board. The passengers were three children, a man, and a woman, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/helicopter-crash-hudson-river-live-updates/6220718/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC 4 New York</a>. Law enforcement sources told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/helicopter-crashes-hudson-river-new-york-city/story?id=120691975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a> that the passengers were family members from Spain. The helicopter departed from downtown New York City and was in the air for around 15 minutes before it crashed into the Hudson.
One witness told ABC News that she &#8220;heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.&#8221;
Another witness said he heard something that &#8220;sounded like a sonic boom&#8221; before seeing the &#8220;helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off.&#8221;
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Bell 206 was on its sixth flight of the day.
This article has been updated with additional information.

Helicopter crash

‘Split In Half’: Six People Killed In NYC Helicopter Crash

Death

New York City

Multiple members of Congress experienced a frightening incident on Thursday when their plane was clipped by another aircraft on the ground at Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area.
Lawmakers posted about their experience on X, stressing that people on board their flight were unharmed.
&#8220;Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok!&#8221; Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) <a href="https://x.com/RepLaLota/status/1910378262506729695" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
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Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok! (And ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/RepGraceMeng?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepGraceMeng</a>⁩ is handing out grapes!) <a href="https://t.co/bOo1JNXZDh">pic.twitter.com/bOo1JNXZDh</a>
&mdash; Congressman Nick LaLota (@RepLaLota) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaLota/status/1910378262506729695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He also noted that Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) was handing out grapes to people on board their plane.
&#8220;Glad my colleagues and I are okay! We are safely waiting on the tarmac, but we may need more snacks,&#8221; Grace <a href="https://x.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910386638825365895" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores [the] urgent need [to] restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe.&#8221;
Meng later posted a video showing what she said were crews fixing the wing on their plane.
&#8220;Fortunately, everyone is okay &amp; we&#8217;re heading back to New York soon. Thank you to all who reached out with your concerns!&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910398067389382860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> in the post.
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While waiting on the runway to fly out of DC today, another plane clipped the wing of the plane my colleagues and I were on. Fortunately, everyone is okay &amp; we&#39;re heading back to New York soon. Thank you to all who reached out with your concerns! <a href="https://t.co/MAbN2E4dcW">pic.twitter.com/MAbN2E4dcW</a>
&mdash; Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910398067389382860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In a <a href="https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1910392673782943921" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> announcing &#8220;preliminary&#8221; information, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the wingtip of American Airlines Flight 5490 &#8220;struck&#8221; American Airlines Flight 4522 on a taxiway at Reagan National Airport around 12:45 p.m. local time.
&#8220;Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900, was headed to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina. Flight 4522, an Embraer E175, was headed to JFK International Airport in New York. The FAA will investigate,&#8221; the agency added.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed that no one was hurt, noted that both planes returned to gates, and stated that airport operations were not impacted, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wingtip-plane-hits-taxiway-reagan-airport-faa/story?id=120687405&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>.
American Airlines said &#8220;the damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft&#8221; and the planes &#8220;have been taken out of service to be inspected,&#8221; per the same <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wingtip-plane-hits-taxiway-reagan-airport-faa/story?id=120687405&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news outlet</a>. &#8220;Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.&#8221;
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/RepGregoryMeeks/status/1910402204789260659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> that seven members of Congress, including himself, were on board the plane that was clipped, along with dozens of other passengers.
The scare comes a couple months after a mid-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a> between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk Helicopter near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people aboard the aircraft.

Jet Takes Off in Washington

Aircraft Carrying Members Of Congress Clipped By Another Plane

Congress

Transportation

U.S. House of Representatives

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sought on Monday to assuage concerns about air traffic safety after a number of high-profile plane incidents took place during the first month of the Trump administration as efforts to trim the &#8220;fat&#8221; are underway.
During an interview with Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer, Duffy acknowledged that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has fired hundreds of employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but he emphasized they were people who were recently hired.
&#8220;There&#8217;s fat everywhere in government, and in DOT as well. But let&#8217;s be clear. At FAA, we cut 352 people out of 46,000 people. That is 0.8% of the workforce. These were probationary workers. They were employed for less than a year at DOT,&#8221; Duffy said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDuffy</a>: &quot;We kept all of the critical safety positions. We actually hired more positions in critical safety, like air traffic controllers&#8230; for people to say that because we cut 352 people out of 46,000 — that that&#39;s a risk to safety — give me a break.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4QEeWgAj4G">pic.twitter.com/4QEeWgAj4G</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1894047345815232922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Duffy stressed that these employees who were let go were not veterans of the department needed to help keep transportation systems running smoothly, an assurance that followed recent air travel disasters such as the deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a> between a military helicopter and passenger jet in the Washington, D.C., area and mid-air plane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/midair-plane-collision-in-arizona-kills-at-least-two" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crash</a> in Arizona.
&#8220;These weren&#8217;t the old school, really ingrained employees of the DOT. And not only that, we kept all of the critical safety positions. And we actually hired more positions in critical safety, like air traffic controllers. We hired more inspectors for things like pipelines and for aircraft,&#8221; Duffy said.
&#8220;So, again, we have a safety mission, but for people to say that because we cut 352 people out of 46,000 — that that&#8217;s a risk to safety — give me a break. I mean that&#8217;s just plain politics as opposed to saying let&#8217;s cut the fat,&#8221; Duffy added.
Duffy also <a href="https://x.com/RedWave_Press/status/1894052581082570788" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talked</a> about the email first announced over the weekend by Elon Musk, who is overseeing President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senators-cant-escape-elon-musk-asking-what-they-got-done-last-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requesting</a> that federal employees provide five things they accomplished in the past week. While other agency leaders have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-officials-tell-employees-not-to-respond-to-musks-productivity-email?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instructed</a> their workers not to respond, the Transportation Secretary said he did not object.
&#8220;At DOT, I have no problem with employees here saying, &#8216;What did you do last week?&#8217; and if you can’t come up with five things that you did, maybe you shouldn’t be employed here,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;Again, this is an easy task. It happens in the private sector all the time. And so I wanted all our employees to actually engage and talk about what they did.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;I think this whole movement, Bill, is potentially going to make people go, &#8216;I&#8217;m going to come to work earlier.&#8217; &#8216;I&#8217;m going to stay later.&#8217; &#8216;I&#8217;m going to look at what Donald Trump wants me to accomplish because he won the election, and I&#8217;m going to fight and work to make sure I help him accomplish that because I&#8217;m a public servant.'&#8221;
Duffy even posted his own list of five things he accomplished last week in a post to X:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mr. President, 5 things I did last week:
1. Terminated NYC elitist, anti-worker congestion pricing. 2. Launched an investigation into the $16 billion in taxpayer dollars wasted on a high-speed rail project that, after 17 years, has yet to lay a single mile of track. 3. Saved $10…
&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1894031690256818515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

FAA Cut Probationary Workers, Added ‘Critical Safety’ Positions, Duffy Says

Air and Space

Department of Transportation

Politics

Sean Duffy

Delta Airlines is offering $30,000 payments to all passengers from Flight 4819 that crash-landed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
This one-time payment &#8220;has no strings attached and does not affect rights,&#8221; a Delta spokesperson said, per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/delta-offering-30000-passengers-plane-crash-landed-toronto-rcna192918">NBC News</a>. If all 76 passengers opted to take the offer, the airline would be forking over close to $2.3 million.
The flight had departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. There were no fatalities, but 21 passengers were hospitalized with injuries. As of Thursday morning, all of the injured passengers had been released from medical care, Delta shared on its <a href="https://news.delta.com/">website</a>. 
“The Delta and Endeavor families are grateful that all those injured Monday have been released from the hospital, and we extend our thanks to everyone who provided care to them over the past few days,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. “We will continue to connect one-on-one with customers, employees and loved ones as we move forward to make sure their needs are met with care.”
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined. Videos show snow present on the runway and there were wind gusts up to 40 mph. Several outlets noted that it appears the pilot did not perform a common “flare” maneuver, which involves pulling up the nose of the plane before touchdown to slow the aircraft and ensure a smoother landing.
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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is leading the crash investigation with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In an interview with “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday, Bastian said the plane’s crew “performed heroically.”
“The fact that they were able to evacuate that plane as expeditiously as they did under extreme conditions coupled with the fact that all 80 people walked off the plane with limited physical injuries was really a testament to the safety that’s embedded in the systems,” the airline exec noted.
The flight was operated by Endeavor Air, a regional carrier that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/airline-operating-delta-flight-that-flipped-bragged-about-man-free-flight-crews">promoted</a> its female-led crews and “unmanned” (or male-free) flights.

Delta

Delta Airlines Offers $30K Payments To Passengers On Plane That Crash-Landed

Delta Airlines Offers $30K Payments To Passengers On Plane That Crash Landed In Toronto

Business

Delta Airlines

Toronto

The Delta flight which flipped upside down while attempting to land on Monday was operated by Endeavor Air, a regional carrier that has been promoting female employees and “unmanned” (or male-free) flights. 
No information about the pilots of Delta Connection Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, has been released, so there is no way to know if the employees being promoted in multiple TikTok videos were involved, or if the flight was one of the company’s “unmanned” crews. But it has led to questions from people on social media sounding off about the airline’s hiring practices and apparent focus on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
The crash occurred at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Video footage captured a Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet flipping upside down during its landing attempt, which led to 21 people being injured with no fatalities. Several injured parties remained hospitalized as of Tuesday.
Videos featuring female Endeavor Air crew members have been circulating on social media since the crash. One video is set to lines from the Disney movie “The Incredibles” (2004) and features a voiceover saying, “Girls, come on? Leave the saving of the world to the men? I don’t think so. I don’t think so,” as a female pilot mouths the words and wags her finger.
Another video features female employees getting ready for an “unmanned” flight, while other clips show instances of women working for Endeavor flying planes and attending what appears to be a trade show, all set to upbeat music with girl-power-themed lyrics.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The plane that crashed in Toronto was a Delta flight operated by Endeavor Air, a small airline obsessed with all-female &quot;unmanned&quot; flights <a href="https://t.co/pYMS3kdpQy">pic.twitter.com/pYMS3kdpQy</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1892081329312813478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Endeavor Air flight that departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul had 80 people on board, including crew members. The video also showed windy and snowy conditions on the runway. 
Multiple outlets <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bad-weather-or-human-error-retired-airline-captain-breaks-down-delta-crash">noted</a> that in the videos, it appears the pilot did not perform the usual “flare” maneuver, which involves pulling up the nose of the plane before touchdown to slow the aircraft and ensure a smoother landing.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is leading the crash investigation with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on Wednesday during an interview with CBS Mornings that the flight crew was experienced.
&#8220;There is one level of safety at Delta,&#8221; Bastian <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-ceo-says-flight-crew-125242104.html?guccounter=1">said</a>. &#8220;All these pilots train for these conditions.&#8221;
The CEO also called the video of the incident &#8220;horrifying&#8221; but praised the flight crew for quickly and efficiently evacuating passengers after the crash. &#8220;This is what we train for,&#8221; Bastian told the outlet. &#8220;We train for this continuously.&#8221;
A note on the Endeavor Air website <a href="https://www.endeavorair.com/content/endeavor-air/en_us/home.html">says</a>, “We are aware of an incident involving Endeavor Air Flight 4819. We are focused on gathering more information and taking care of our employees and customers at this time. We will share additional details as they become available.”

Delta flight

Airline Operating Delta Flight That Flipped Bragged About Man-Free Flight Crews

Airline Crash

airplanes

World

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy will welcome a team from SpaceX to the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia on Monday as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) looks to Elon Musk&#8217;s company for advice on making &#8220;a new, better, modern and safer system.&#8221;
SpaceX, the leading rocket and spacecraft company in the world, will visit the FAA&#8217;s command center shortly after multiple deadly plane crashes sent shockwaves through the United States in recent weeks. In a <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1891310401800872114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X on Sunday, Duffy said he wants to seek &#8220;advice from the brightest minds in America&#8221; to follow through on President Donald Trump&#8217;s desire to improve the country&#8217;s air traffic control system.
&#8220;I’m asking for help from any high-tech American developer or company that is willing to give back to our country,&#8221; Duffy wrote. &#8220;Tomorrow, members of @elonmusk’s SpaceX team will be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in VA to get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system.&#8221;
Musk replied to Duffy&#8217;s post, writing, &#8220;The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer.&#8221;
As the Trump administration continues to give Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project more power and oversight of federal government agencies, Duffy attempted to get ahead of any criticism over his invitation to the SpaceX team.
&#8220;Because I know the media (and Hillary Clinton) will claim Elon’s team is getting special access, let me make clear that the [FAA] regularly gives tours of the command center to both media and companies,&#8221; he wrote.
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The Trump administration fired around 400 probationary FAA workers over the weekend, according to the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, a union representing FAA and Department of Defense employees. Those terminated included environmental compliance workers, aeronautical information specialists, maintenance workers, and mechanics, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/17/faa-workers-fired-trump-plane-helicopter-collision/78956241007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On January 29, just over a week after Trump took office, an American Airlines flight with 64 people on board collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. All 64 on the American Airlines flight, along with three servicemembers on the helicopter, died in the crash, marking the first deadly commercial plane crash on U.S. soil since 2009. Days later, a medical jet with six people on board crashed in Philadelphia, killing everyone on the plane and one person on the ground.
Federal investigators are trying to determine the cause of the midair collision over the Potomac. On Friday, the National Transportation Safety Board said the Black Hawk helicopter could have had bad data, making one pilot believe they were flying at 300 feet while the other pilot thought they were at 400 feet. The NTSB added that air traffic control&#8217;s instructions for the helicopter to go behind the incoming American Airlines flight could have been missed if one of the pilots keyed her radio at the same time as the message from air traffic control came through, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/dc-plane-crash-new-details-emerge-ntsb-investigation/story?id=118820142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Following the collision, President Trump said his administration would &#8220;restore faith in American air travel,&#8221; adding that air traffic controllers must be &#8220;our smartest people.&#8221;
&#8220;It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. &#8230; They have to be talented, naturally talented. Geniuses. Can’t have regular people doing their job,&#8221; Trump said in a White House press briefing.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-initiates-review-of-all-faa-workers-in-critical-safety-positions">Trump Initiates Review Of All FAA Workers In &#8216;Critical Safety Positions&#8217;</a>

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Trump Administration

A Japan Airlines plane collided with a parked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta Air Lines</a> flight that was waiting to take off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday, according to videos that circulated online.
Delta said that it had 142 passengers on board at the time of the accident, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/us/delta-japan-airlines-collision-seattle-airport.html">The New York Times</a>. The plane was scheduled to fly to Mexico and was waiting for &#8220;de-icing&#8221; treatment when it was hit.
“There are no reports of injuries for crew or customers on the flight, and we apologize for the experience and delay in travels,” Delta said.
Japan Airlines did not release a statement.
The incidents comes after more than 60 people were killed when a helicopter collided midair with a passenger jet in Washington, D.C., last week, which was followed up several days later by a small plane slamming into a residential area in Philadelphia, killing all on board and wounding many on the ground.
WATCH:
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EXCLUSIVE: A passenger on the Japan Airlines flight which hit a Delta plane at SeaTac Airport shared footage of the moment of impact.
He says he started recording because he could tell the Japan Airlines plane wouldn’t clear the Delta plane and would hit it.
Wild.
Why do these… <a href="https://t.co/uer5Wzcwa3">pic.twitter.com/uer5Wzcwa3</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1887243460454805901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JUST IN: Japan Airlines plane hits Delta Air Lines jet while taxiing at Seattle Airport <a href="https://t.co/ZfuMcysCkz">pic.twitter.com/ZfuMcysCkz</a>
— BNO News (@BNONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1887234645630058898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Japan Airlines 787-9 collides with a Delta Air Lines 737-800 while taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The FAA said in a statement: &#8220;The right wing of Japan Airlines Flight 68 struck the tail of Delta Air Lines Flight 1921 while the planes were taxiing at… <a href="https://t.co/prN8YKtywW">pic.twitter.com/prN8YKtywW</a>
— Breaking Aviation News &amp; Videos (@aviationbrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/aviationbrk/status/1887243183572328856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the Japan Airlines flight had just landed after an eight hour flight from Tokyo.
One of the passengers on the flight, Jackie Patton, told the Times that she felt a “violent shaking in the plane and a really loud crunching sound” when the collision happened.
“It was obvious right away something was wrong,” Patton said. “It was very scary.”

Japan Airlines Suspends Ticket Sales After Cyber Attack

WATCH: Japan Airlines Flight Collides With Delta Flight At Seattle Airport

Japan

Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Vance</a> offered insight into President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s comments about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dei-and-the-faa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how DEI</a> policies were a factor in the deadly mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and Army Black Hawk Helicopter near Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area last week.
Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Vance if he had any evidence that any of the employees at the control were &#8220;DEI hires&#8221; during a &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6368158619112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>.
&#8220;No, the president&#8217;s been very clear about this. This is not saying that the person who was at the controls is a DEI hire,&#8221; Vance replied, adding: &#8220;Let&#8217;s just say, first of all, we should investigate everything. But let&#8217;s just say the person at the controls didn&#8217;t have enough staffing around him or her because we were turning people away because of DEI reasons. There is a very direct connection between the policies of the last administration and short-staffed air traffic controllers. That has to stop.&#8221;
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Vice President <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on DEI hiring practices at the FAA 🎯
“There’s a very direct connection between the policies of the last administration and short-staffed air traffic controllers&#8230;That is a scandal. Thankfully, it&#39;s a scandal that the president has stopped.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/e5NYUYCSlq">pic.twitter.com/e5NYUYCSlq</a>
&mdash; Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Surabees/status/1886082107060982270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance continued his answer by responding to the media coverage of Trump&#8217;s remarks in the wake of the tragedy in which 67 people were killed.
&#8220;By the way, it&#8217;s so funny to me. The media has picked up on this &#8212; not you, of course, Maria &#8212; but others have picked up on this. The president made very clear that he wasn&#8217;t blaming anybody, but he was being very explicit about the fact that DEI policies have led our air traffic controllers to be short-staffed. That is a scandal,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;Thankfully, it&#8217;s a scandal that the president has stopped.&#8221;
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/29/us/plane-crash-washington-dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">internal preliminary report</a> from the Federal Aviation Administration (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/federal-aviation-administration-faa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAA</a>) said that staffing at the tower at the time of the collision was &#8220;not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.&#8221; Also mentioned by the newspaper was that the controller who was dealing with helicopters around the airport was also instructing planes that were landing and departing, tasks typically assigned to multiple people.
Earlier in the interview, Vance explained how he believed DEI policies of the Obama and Biden administrations &#8220;contributed&#8221; to the current situation.
&#8220;We have a massive shortage of air traffic controllers. And, in fact, there have been a number of lawsuits from people who would like to become air traffic controllers against the Obama and Biden administration who basically said, we were told not even to apply because of the color of our skin, because they were white people who wanted to be air traffic controllers, and under the DEI regime of the Biden administration, they weren&#8217;t welcome.&#8221;
Vance said that means the &#8220;we don&#8217;t have the best and the brightest sometimes in these positions&#8221; and &#8220;even more importantly than that, even when we do get really good people, they&#8217;re going to be way overstressed because they&#8217;re working long hours, because air traffic controllers are short-staffed.&#8221;
Hearkening back to his time in the Senate, Vance noted that he served on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
&#8220;We knew for years that we had a shortage at air traffic control,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;Well, part of the reason why we had a shortage at air traffic control is because we were telling our air traffic controllers not to hire people because of the color of their skin. That is a scandal, and it is a scandal, thankfully, that has stopped under the leadership of President Trump. It&#8217;s why I&#8217;m actually optimistic about aviation safety, but it&#8217;s also why we have had way too many near misses and unfortunately a fatal crash just a couple days ago.&#8221;

VP JD Vance

Vance Exposes DEI ‘Scandal’ Involving Air Traffic Controllers

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

JD Vance

New details indicate the air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area was understaffed when a nearby helicopter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/plane-crash-halts-all-flights-at-ronald-reagan-washington-national-airport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collided</a> with a passenger jet on Wednesday night.
An internal preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/federal-aviation-administration-faa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAA</a>) said that staffing at the tower was &#8220;not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/29/us/plane-crash-washington-dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The New York Times</a>.
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“The tower was nearly a third below targeted staff levels, with 19 fully certified controllers as of Sept. ***2023***… The shortage — caused by ***years*** of employee turnover and tight budgets, among other factors — has forced many controllers to work up to six days a week…” <a href="https://t.co/f78yCtL21j">https://t.co/f78yCtL21j</a>
&mdash; Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1885064348814504313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The newspaper said the controller who was dealing with helicopters around the airport was also instructing planes that were landing and departing, tasks which are typically assigned to multiple people.
Also mentioned by The New York Times was how the Reagan airport tower had been understaffed for years, part of a nationwide shortage that has led to many controllers working long hours, up to six days a week.
The newspaper further explained that the Reagan airport tower was nearly a third below targeted staff levels, with 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023 reported to Congress in an FAA <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241225184848/https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/afn-aba-20240509-cwp.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">workforce plan</a>.
Search efforts in the Potomac River began immediately after the mid-air crash between an American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew on board and an Army Black Hawk Helicopter carrying three soldiers.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1885002717858263358" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Thursday afternoon, &#8220;Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation&#8217;s capital and in our nation&#8217;s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions.&#8221;
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President Trump on DCA helicopter-plane crash: &quot;Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation&#39;s capitol and in our nation&#39;s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZzeXygwpAr">pic.twitter.com/ZzeXygwpAr</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885002717858263358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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National Transportation Safety Board officials <a href="https://x.com/ABC/status/1885056794378015045" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> their agency plans to release a preliminary report on the D.C. crash &#8220;within 30 days&#8221; followed by a final report when an investigation has been completed.
The mid-air collision follows the Senate confirmations in the past week of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, both of whom have responded to the tragedy.
&#8220;What happened today should never have happened. I want the families of the victims to know that they have my word: I will not rest until you have the truth,&#8221; Duffy <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1885017745244237898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a series of posts to X.
&#8220;I will find answers to how this happened. I have directed every relevant agency to immediately investigate what went wrong, and I will not tolerate delays or bureaucratic excuses,&#8221; the secretary added.
He concluded by saying: &#8220;If there was negligence, incompetence, or failure anywhere in the system, we will find it — and I will fix it. I will provide further updates as we uncover the facts.&#8221;

Report Suggests Airport Tower Understaffed At Time Of Collision, Had Been For Years

All flights were halted at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) just outside <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/washington-d-c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington, D.C.</a> on Wednesday night after a commercial aircraft and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair and crashed into the Potomac River.
Officials said in a press conference on Thursday morning that they expect no survivors. At least 28 bodies have <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/live-updates-american-airlines-flight-crashes-into-potomac-river-near-reagan-national/3829292/">reportedly</a> been recovered from the Potomac River.
&#8220;We are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,&#8221; Washington D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said on Thursday morning. &#8220;At this point I don&#8217;t believe we are going to find any survivors.&#8221;
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1884799596078985353" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> identifying the passenger plane as American Airlines Flight 5342, which departed from Wichita, Kansas.
According to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-plane-crashes-potomac-river-collision-helicopter-reagan-n-rcna189942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Airlines</a>, there were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Eagle regional jet. The military helicopter had three people on board.
Following the crash, the airport halted all <a href="https://x.com/Reagan_Airport/status/1884786809407693308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">takeoffs and landings</a> as emergency personnel arrived on the scene. Recovery operations are underway. The collision occurred around 8:48 pm local time under clear skies.
Multiple American figure skaters and coaches who were returning from a training camp in Wichita were reportedly on the passenger plane. Two Russian world champions were also on board, according to Russian state media.
&#8220;These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,&#8221; U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. &#8220;We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims&#8217; families closely in our hearts.&#8221;
Video captured by EarthCam and its affiliate, The Kennedy Center, captured the moment that the plane collided with the helicopter.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="BREAKING NEWS: Blackhawk Helicopter Collides Midair With Passenger Jet Over D.C." width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3VtVRniNZfA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
President Donald Trump released a <a href="https://x.com/breaking911/status/1884812276122673605?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> following the crash: “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
Trump later <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113915617049801010">posted</a> on Truth Social: &#8220;The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn&#8217;t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn&#8217;t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!&#8221;
Video from the incident showed a large presence of first responders on scene.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Breaking?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Breaking</a> DC Fire and EMS confirms a small aircraft is down in the Potomac River in the vicinity of Reagan National Airport. Fireboats on scene. All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The… <a href="https://t.co/aGisrUj6ug">pic.twitter.com/aGisrUj6ug</a>
— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) <a href="https://twitter.com/AllisonPapson/status/1884790001738903912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-plane-crashes-potomac-river-collision-helicopter-reagan-n-rcna189942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that a senior FBI official said &#8220;there is no indication of any criminality or terrorism in the crash.&#8221;
This article has been updated.

Security Ahead Of State Of The Union

American Airlines Flight Collides With U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter Near DC Airport

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