NATCA Head Defends Controllers After Trump Blames Fatal Midair on DEI Policies

President on Thursday suggested the collision between a passenger jet and U.S. Army helicopter was caused by diversity initiatives.

Friday, January 31, 2025 at 04:20 PM ET

Verified

A Bombardier CRJ-700 jet, operating American Eagle Flight 5342, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crash landed in the Potomac River. [Getty Images/Win McNamee]

Key Takeaways:

President Trump attributed a fatal collision between an American Eagle flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring policies at the FAA.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) president, Nick Daniels, strongly refuted Trump's claims, asserting the outstanding quality of certified controllers and dismissing the speculation as unfounded.
Other aviation groups, including the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), also condemned Trump's remarks as misleading and harmful, stressing that safety is grounded in rigorous training, not compromised by diversity.
Aviation organizations, including NATCA, urged patience for the ongoing National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the accident's cause, while NATCA also noted an existing shortage of air traffic controllers.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) refuted President Donald Trump’s suggestion that diversity policies were to blame for a collision between an American Eagle flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) on Wednesday night.

Trump during a press conference on Thursday said that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring “could have been” responsible for the collision, which is believed to have killed all 67 people aboard the passenger jet and helicopter. But that’s news to NATCA president Nick Daniels.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.