Plane Diverted to Different Runway Shortly Before Crash; Control Tower Was Understaffed, Reports Say

The new details emerge after Trump blames the crash on diversity programs and previous Democratic administrations and said he was reviewing all hiring decisions at the FAA during the previous four years.

Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images
The Coast Guard investigates some of the aircraft wreckage on the Potomac River on January 30, 2025 at Washington, DC. Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images

The passenger jet that collided with an Army helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., that left 67 people dead, had been diverted to a different runway at the last minute as it was descending to Reagan National Airport by an air traffic control tower that was understaffed at the time, according to reports. 

Amid the start of the search for the cause of the crash, President Trump doubled down on his attacks on diversity programs in the FAA. The president began his assault during a press conference Thursday morning, in which he said it was “common sense” that DEI played a role in the tragedy, and stepped it up later in the day when the White House announced it was reviewing all of the agency’s hiring decisions over the last four years and replacing anyone who did not meet “qualification standards.”

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