Live
Washington plane crash LIVE: Air traffic control at airport was 'understaffed' on night of disaster
30 January 2025, 07:50 | Updated: 30 January 2025, 21:23
The Washington air traffic control tower overseeing the flights where 67 people died in a crash was understaffed at the time.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
An American Airlines flight carrying 64 people collided Wednesday with a military helicopter over Washington DC, sparking a large search-and-rescue effort in the Potomac River.
The flight from Wichita, Kansas, was coming in to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
The operation is expected to last at least several days.
Follow our live blog for updates.
This is the end of our coverage
Thank you for listening and reading along.
Please follow the latest updates on our website and social media channels.
2 Chinese nationals among the victims of the crash
The Chinese embassy in the US said 2 Chinese nationals were among the victims of the collision.
The embassy said as it expressed its “deepest condolences to all the victims and sympathies to the bereaved families”.
“According to preliminary information, two Chinese citizens were unfortunately among the 67 victims of the tragic plane crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29,” the embassy said in a statement.
They asked US authorities to confirm their information, officially notify the Chinese embassy and assist the victims' families.
The embassy said it would also “provide consular protection and assistance within the scope of its responsibilities”.
Black Hawk Helicopter's altitude was nearly 200 feet off, says former NTSB investigator
The US Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was nearly 200 feet off, according to Greg Feith, a former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator.
“Why were the military pilots almost 200 feet off the restricted altitude? The ceiling on those routes is 200 feet.
"And if they had been at 200 feet, they would have passed underneath the [regional jet] because the [regional jet] was at about 400 feet,” Feith told CNN.
“Why were they off their altitude, given the fact that they are very disciplined?” Feith asked.
“They knew the routes, their experience, so that of course is going to be an issue.”
Cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder recovered, say investigators
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said its investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the airplane involved in the crash.
The devices might shed more light on what actually happened within the cockpit of the plane before the collision.
The recorders are now at the NTSB’s labs for evaluation.
As of now, there is 'no clear reason' for why the crash occurred.
Trump has been widely criticised for his comments linking the crash to diversity hiring
Two black boxes found at the crash site, according to reports.
Investigators are said to have found two black boxes, NBC News reported.
This should give them more information about what was going on onboard the plane ahead of the fatal crash.
A witness to the crash describes the scene to LBC
LBC's Ben Kentish says the Trump comments were "sick and unconscionable"
Trump signs executive order blaming Biden's 'woke policies' and DEI for crash
Trump has signed an executive order that names and effectively blames Joe Biden for the horrific mid-air crash in DC.
He signed the order at the Oval Office in front of reporters and cameras.
The order is named "Immediate Assessment of Aviation Safety."
It states: "In light of the damage done to aviation safety by the Biden administration's DEI and woke policies, what this presidential memorandum orders is your secretary of transportation and FAA administrator... to basically ensure that we are actively undoing all of that damage."
Trump says 'race or gender' may have played role in crash
Trump has been taking further questions in the Oval Office following his press conference earlier.
He said he planned to meet the victims of the crash.
The president also expanded on earlier comments about diversity having played a role in the accident.
Asked if race or gender may have had some influence on the crash, Trump replied: "It may have, I don't know.
"Incompetence might have played a role.
"We'll let you know that but we want the most competent people.
"We don't care what race they are. We want the most competent people, especially in those positions.
"You're talking about extremely complex things and if they don't have a great brain, a great power of the brain they are not going to be very good at what they do and bad things will happen."
