Air Traffic Controllers say FAA’s DEI Hiring Practices Led to Washington, D.C. Plane Crash

The FAA’s focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices has resulted in the employment of less qualified air traffic controllers (ATCs) and a staffing shortage.

It’s not enough to remove DEI, it must be banned.

Air traffic controllers say FAA hiring practices, ‘immunity program,’ led to DC plane crash

Air traffic controllers say an FAA “immunity program” fails to hold people accountable for their mistakes, even with deadly consequences.

By Natalia Mittelstadt, Just The News, February 8, 2025:

Current and former air traffic controllers warn that the Federal Aviation Administration’s hiring practices and “immunity program” have led to problems, such as those that may have resulted in the recent midair collison near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The FAA’s focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices has resulted in the employment of less qualified air traffic controllers (ATCs) and a staffing shortage, former ATC’s say. This, in addition to an “immunity program” that fails to hold ATCs accountable for their mistakes, are likely contributing factors American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter on Jan. 29 that resulted in both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River near the Washington, D.C.-area airport. All  67 people aboard died.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Thursday that the helicopter’s advanced tracking system was turned off at the time of the crash. As for the FAA, an ATC tried unsuccessfully to contact the helicopter less than 30 seconds before the collision, according to audio from air traffic control.

Warned about dangers

The FAA was warned in a 2023 report that air traffic controllers were increasingly making last minute flight adjustments to deal with traffic and shortages of controllers in a trend that raised safety concerns. The safety expert report that warned America’s air traffic control system is suffering from quality-control issues and staffing shortages that put safety at risk.

The November 2023 report also warned that personnel shortages among air traffic controllers were forcing people to work longer hours and make sudden, last-minute changes to flight plans that increased risks.

Regulators acknowledged that in 2023 there were 19 serious near-misses at U.S. airports that could’ve been catastrophic, one of the largest totals in many years.

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AUTHOR

Pamela Geller

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