The United States has broken a 16-year streak of no fatal air accidents following a deadly midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter near Washington D.C. on Wednesday night. The crash claimed the lives of 64 people aboard the American Airlines flight and three military crew members. This marked the first fatal commercial airplane crash in the US since 2009.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but experts are concerned about the increasing strain on the US air travel system, particularly due to a long-standing shortage of air traffic controllers, even as efforts to increase hiring have been made. With rising congestion in major metropolitan airspace, especially around Washington D.C., the incident highlights the growing risks in the nation’s skies.
Aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse expressed his concerns, saying, “In the last two to three years, we’ve had so many close calls with commercial planes having near collisions in and near airport environments. If changes aren’t made, you eventually meet with tragedy.”
In response to the incident, newly appointed Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy called the collision “absolutely preventable.” During a press conference, Duffy explained that the flight paths of both the American Airlines flight and the military helicopter were not unusual for the D.C. airspace at the time. However, he stressed that “it is not standard to have aircraft collide.” Despite the routine nature of their flight paths, Duffy said the crash could have been avoided.
Former President Donald Trump quickly weighed in, questioning why the air traffic control tower didn’t take action to prevent the collision, given the clear weather conditions and the visibility of the plane. On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn?” He also suggested that the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies were to blame for the crash, a statement he later expanded upon during a press conference, where he reiterated that “common sense” led him to this conclusion, though no official cause had been determined yet.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed condolences and acknowledged that “a mistake was made” during the operation, but he assured that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now leading the investigation, with Chair Jennifer Homendy stressing that they are committed to uncovering the full facts behind the tragedy. Homendy revealed that 50 NTSB investigators have been deployed to examine the two aircraft involved, looking at mechanical issues and the potential role of human error. The NTSB aims to have a preliminary report within 30 days, and they plan to brief the families of the victims later on Thursday.
“We will find out what happened,” said NTSB board member Todd Inman. “We will do it factually and accurately.”
