US President Donald Trump on Thursday attributed last week’s fatal collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter to the outdated computer system used by U.S. air traffic controllers, calling it “obsolete,” and pledged to replace it, reports AP.
During an event, Trump stated that "a lot of mistakes happened" on January 29 when an American Airlines flight departing from Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. The crash, which occurred as the plane was nearing its landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, resulted in the deaths of all 67 individuals on both aircraft.
Trump withdraws US from UN human rights body, cuts Palestinian refugee funding
Immediately after the incident, Trump had blamed diversity hiring programmes for the crash. However, on Thursday, he placed the blame on the air traffic control system.
“It’s amazing that it happened,” Trump remarked during a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol. “I think that’s going to be used for good. We’ll all sit down and develop a great computerized system for our control towers. A brand new one, not pieced together, obsolete.”
Trump pointed out that the U.S. had spent billions attempting to “renovate an old, broken system” instead of investing in a completely new one. He also mentioned that when flying in his private jet, he uses a system from another country because his pilot considers the U.S. system outdated.
Federal officials have long raised concerns about the air traffic control system being overburdened and understaffed, particularly after a number of near-miss incidents at airports. The staffing shortages are attributed to factors such as uncompetitive wages, long shifts, intensive training, and mandatory retirements.
Trump argued that had the U.S. possessed a newer system, warnings would have been triggered when the Black Hawk helicopter, engaged in a training exercise, reached the same altitude as the passenger plane.
However, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report stated that the controller did receive an alert about the plane and helicopter converging while they were still over a mile apart. The controller inquired if the helicopter pilot had visual contact with the plane and directed the helicopter to pass behind it. The helicopter pilot confirmed having the plane in sight.
The investigation has focused on confirming the altitudes of both the plane and the helicopter. The flight recorder from the jet showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), with a margin of error of 25 feet (7.6 meters). Data from the air traffic control system indicated the helicopter was above its 200-foot (61-meter) ceiling, with the controller's screen showing the helicopter at 300 feet (91 meters), though this figure was rounded to the nearest 100 feet (30 meters).
To obtain more precise details, investigators need to examine the wreckage of the submerged Black Hawk, which is expected to be recovered later this week.
Trump administration to withdraw most USAID workers worldwide
This crash marked the deadliest U.S. aviation accident since November 12, 2001, when a jet crashed into a New York City neighbourhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 passengers and five people on the ground.