Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker / EarthCam
Topics: American Airlines, Donald Trump, Washington, US News
Callum Jones
Topics: American Airlines, Donald Trump, Washington, US News
President Donald Trump has come under fire after ordering a Federal hiring freeze just days before the fatal American Airlines crash.
America is in a state of shock after an American Airlines passenger aircraft crashed into a BlackHawk US Army military helicopter near Washington D.C at around 9pm on Wednesday (January 29).
The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while three personnel were on board the helicopter.
Flight 5342 was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, before the two aircrafts crashed and plummeted into the Potomac River.
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19 bodies have been recovered from the river as the search efforts have continued into Thursday (30 January).
The tragic incident comes just days after President Trump overhauled the Department of Homeland, with the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard being removed from their post before their term had been completed.
Members of an aviation security advisory group had also been removed by Trump since his return to office.
Ranking Member Larsen said in a press release: "The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the Administration to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers. That’s what the law says, so the Administration must rescind this ridiculous executive order.
"Hiring air traffic controllers is the number one safety issue according to the entire aviation industry. Instead of working to improve aviation safety and lower costs for hardworking American families, the Administration is choosing to spread bogus DEI claims to justify this decision.
"I'm not surprised by the President’s dangerous and divisive actions, but the Administration must reverse course. Let’s get back to aviation safety and allow the FAA to do its job protecting the flying public."
It should be worth noting the freeze doesn’t specify air traffic controllers, but people have seemingly made the link.
UNILAD has reached out to The White House for comment.
As for the crash, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom has expressed his 'deep sorrow' at the incident.
In a statement provided to UNILAD, American Airlines said: "American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA.
"The flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft.
"Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.
"If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly."
This is still to be determined, with the black boxes from both the helicopter and plane vital to establishing what was going on in the build up to the fatal collision.
All we know at this stage is that the passenger plane and military helicopter collided as the plane was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport's Runaway 33 to land.
US Figure Skating, which is the American governing body for the sport, has announced that a number of athletes and coaches were on board the fateful flight.
Ice skating coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov are said to have been among those skaters on board, according to Russian state media.
At least 19 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River, while no survivors have also been located at this stage.
President Trump described the incident as a 'bad situation' that 'should have been prevented'.
"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport," he wrote on Truth Social. "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't the helicopter go up or down, or turn.
"Why didn'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!!! What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!"
Air traffic control audio has been released from the incident detailing the harrowing moment dispatchers witness the crash.
"The accident happened in the river. Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river," a man on the audio says. "It was probably out in the middle of the river. Um, I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river.
"But it was a CR-J [the type of plane] and a helicopter that hit, I would say a half-mile of the approach."
During a press conference, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said his team 'don't know' if they'll find anybody alive, explaining that weather conditions were making the rescue operation tougher.
"There is wind. There are pieces of ice in the water... And because there is not a lot of light, you are out there searching every square inch of space," he said.
"These are very tough conditions for [rescuers] to dive in."