No survivors in US passenger jet crash; Trump blames diversity hiring, political opponents

Collision of jet with 64 passengers and crew members with a US Army helicopter was ‘absolutely preventable’, US transportation secretary says

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An American Eagle plane takes off at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the aftermath of the collision on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:20pm, 30 Jan 2025Updated: 11:14pm, 31 Jan 2025

A mid-air collision of a commercial airliner and a US Army helicopter, which sent both aircraft into the freezing waters of Washington’s Potomac River Wednesday night, has left all of the jet’s 64 passengers and crew members dead, according to local officials.

Speaking in a White House briefing, US President Donald Trump said that federal agencies had launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash as soon as possible, but also insisted that it was his “common sense” opinion that diversity policies pursued by previous administrations was part of the cause.

The New York Times and Associated Press cited an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety report, which said that staffing at the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic”.

According to the Times, the agency’s report said the controller who was managing helicopter transits in the airport’s vicinity Wednesday night was also instructing planes that were landing and departing from its runways.

The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.