67 people are presumed dead after a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet approaching the runway at the Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. U.S. President Donald Trump has blamed diversity hiring initiatives in the Federal Aviation Administration, while an investigation is just beginning.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Air traffic controllers direct an army helicopter to fly behind a commercial jet approaching
00:10the Washington D.C. airport for landing.
00:13Just seconds later, the two aircraft collide, surveillance video from EarthCam showing an
00:20explosion in the air before they crash into the icy Potomac River, killing all 67 passengers,
00:27crew and soldiers on board.
00:29Among those on the plane, several figure skaters who had participated in a U.S. figure
00:33skating camp, including two Russian world champions.
00:37Two Chinese nationals also died in the crash, according to Chinese state media.
00:42It's the deadliest air crash in the U.S. in over two decades and has left officials scrambling
00:47to find answers.
00:49We are all here because this is an all hands on deck event.
00:55And we're here to assure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned
01:03in this investigation.
01:05We are going to conduct a thorough investigation of this entire tragedy, looking at the facts.
01:13Twenty-four hours after the crash, the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorders
01:17have been recovered from the commercial plane, which was flying from Wichita, Kansas to D.C.
01:23The black box from the Army helicopter, which had been on a training run, has not yet been
01:28found.
01:29A preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration found that air traffic controller
01:33staffing was not normal and that one person was directing both commercial and helicopter
01:39traffic before 9 p.m. on Wednesday night, a time when one person is usually responsible
01:44for each task.
01:46With the investigation still ongoing, U.S. President Donald Trump blamed the incident
01:51on diversity hiring initiatives at the FAA.
01:54We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas
02:00and I think we'll probably state those opinions now.
02:03Targeted disabilities are those disabilities that the federal government as a matter of
02:07policy has identified for special emphasis in recruitment and hiring, the FAA's website
02:13states.
02:14Think of that.
02:15The initiative is part of the FAA's diversity and inclusion hiring plan, which says diversity
02:20is integral to achieving FAA's mission of ensuring safe and efficient travel.
02:26I don't think so.
02:27I don't think so.
02:28I think it's just the opposite.
02:30Trump's comments have already received backlash from Democratic Congress members and former
02:34Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
02:37As first responders continue to search for bodies and officials search for answers, this
02:42may prove to be the first major test for the new Trump administration.
02:47Alex Chen and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
02:50For Taiwan Plus, I'm Alex Chen.