Trump blames workers as military operations lead to deadly Reagan Airport crash

12th Aviation Battalion Helicopters
Army Black Hawk helicopters fly over Washington, D.C. Photo: U.S. Army

A catastrophic mid-air collision on Jan. 29 sent a commercial jet and a military helicopter crashing into the Potomac River, killing all 67 people on the jet and in the helicopter. The disaster is now raising urgent concerns over the dangers of military aircraft operating in civilian airspace — a long-standing but often overlooked risk to both airline workers and passenger airlines.

At approximately 9:00 p.m. EST, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, which was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members. The commercial flight was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just outside the U.S. capital.

A disaster waiting to happen

While investigators are still piecing together the exact cause of the crash, early reports indicate that military aviation activity in congested airspace may have played a significant role.

The Black Hawk aircraft was allegedly at least 100 feet higher than permitted and was half a mile off its agreed flight path when the collision happened over the Potomac.

The Black Hawk helicopter was part of a Continuity of Government (COG) exercise, a military drill designed to simulate the evacuation of top officials in the event of a national emergency. Such exercises occur regularly and often without public knowledge, meaning military aircraft — often flying at low altitudes — share airspace with civilian airliners.

Compounding the danger, in 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) quietly allowed military aircraft to turn off their tracking systems (ADS-B) during “sensitive operations.” This means that commercial air traffic controllers — already overburdened and understaffed — may not have had complete visibility of the Black Hawk’s flight path. It is unknown whether the helicopter had its tracking system disabled at the time of the crash.

Under the Biden administration, military spending and operations were expanded significantly. These military flights routinely occur in some of the country’s busiest and most complex civilian airspaces, increasing the risk of collisions. The Washington, D.C., area is practically a war zone, with all the military aircraft overlapping flight paths of commercial and private planes. Reagan National Airport, in particular, is in the heart of U.S. global military operations, close to the White House, the Capitol, the Pentagon, and the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

These factors make the region one of the most dangerous places in the U.S. for commercial air traffic.

Understaffing, deregulation, and military encroachment

The tragedy also shines a light on the chronic understaffing of air traffic controllers, which has created increasingly unsafe conditions.

A 2023 FAA report found that 77% of all U.S. air traffic control facilities are understaffed, with some operating at just 54% of necessary levels. Reagan National, where the crash occurred, had one controller handling both helicopters and commercial flights — despite procedures requiring two controllers for such operations.

This staffing crisis is a direct result of decades of union-busting and deregulation. The 1981 PATCO strike, in which President Ronald Reagan fired 13,000 air traffic controllers and broke their union, began a long decline in safety standards. Since then, air traffic controllers have been forced to work longer hours with fewer resources, while corporate-driven deregulation has placed profits over public safety.

CBS News reports that NASA safety data identified at least nine near-midair collisions at the ironically named Reagan Airport since 2005, including three involving helicopters.

Adding more military aircraft into this already overburdened system only increases the risk of disasters like this one.

An avoidable tragedy

History repeatedly shows that military aircraft operating in civilian airspace often lead to near misses and fatal accidents due to their unique flight patterns, operational secrecy, and lack of coordination with commercial aviation systems. 

Unlike commercial jets, which follow strict, standardized flight paths monitored by civilian air traffic controllers, military aircraft frequently conduct high-speed maneuvers, training exercises, and classified missions that may involve sudden altitude changes, restricted tracking, or communication blackouts. These factors create dangerous conditions where commercial pilots and controllers may have little warning before a conflict arises.

Over the years, numerous incidents—some resulting in catastrophic crashes — have demonstrated that allowing military and civilian flights to share the same airspace is a recipe for disaster that needs to be stopped now.

Blaming workers instead of addressing military risks

President Donald Trump used the tragedy to launch an attack on airline workers, falsely blaming diversity hiring policies at the FAA for the crash.

At a White House briefing, Trump blamed “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies — a baseless and bigoted claim. Vice President J.D. Vance went even further, falsely suggesting that qualified white air traffic controllers had been denied jobs due to affirmative action policies.

These statements are pure racism and bigotry, meant to be divisive and divert attention from the real issues. The actual cause of the tragedy was the combination of military flights, air traffic controller understaffing, and government inaction on safety concerns.

The tragic deaths of 67 people in this avoidable disaster must not be forgotten. This is not just an issue for aviation workers and airline passengers — it is a fight for the safety of all workers and the people against a government that continues to prioritize military interests over human lives.


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