Trump Talks American Airline/ Black Hawk Crash Last Night
[guest post by Dana]
What we know for sure:
An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, with no survivors expected amid the extremely cold and windy conditions.
Sixty-four people were on board the plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas.
The collision happened around 9 p.m. when the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet was on approach to the airport.
There is speculation, of course, but we are cautioned to wait for an investigation:
I’m a hawk pilot. I’ve flown the NCR airspace. I’ve got about as much knowledge as you can have save for being one of the VIP fliers out there. Here’s me, not commenting, waiting for a proper investigation to be done. Take a hint. The world doesn’t need your uninformed aviation hot take.
Clearly some individuals didn’t want to wait for an investigation to be concluded (let alone barely begun), and have even decided that DEI policies were to blame for the crash:
President Trump Holds Press Briefing on Aviation Disaster https://t.co/uyYbkQJ9mp
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 30, 2025
—Dana
Hello.
Dana (ddacde) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:21 amEvery accusation is an admission.
If stupid Hitler talks, he’s 1) wrong 2) probably lying…in every case.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a tragedy with 67 fatalities, or the ladyman making his fries.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:27 am@2 Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:27 am
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:38 am“Godwin this, Godwin that”
That’s all I see…
Waiting for some reporter to cut to the chase and just ask, “So you’re saying this accident is the result of desegregation?”
john (142c21) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:43 amGranted, this is a “communist” link but, as they say, facts don’t have a left-wing bias.
Obviously, Trump’s sunsetting the committee had nothing to do with last night’s crash, but they’ll be needed to make recommendations about the air traffic situation in and around DC.
Paul Montagu (3fa619) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:48 amThe FAA has also lacked an Administrator since January 20th; Trump announced an acting head today; the position requires Senate confirmation.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:53 am>“Godwin this, Godwin that”
The President has jumped in asserting that this was obviously a result of DEI programs, without waiting for any evidence of that. When asked about it, he said that it’s just common sense which unfortunately many people don’t have.
It’s pretty clear the man is a f*cking racist, and I am baffled at how you don’t see it.
aphrael (dbf41f) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:08 amWhile Trump is railing about DEI and such, this crash happened under the watch of DUI hire, Pete Hegseth.
Elect a con man, get the clown show. Trump’s performance today is scarcely different from his factless nonsense about Hamas using American-imported condoms for bomb-making.
Paul Montagu (3fa619) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:39 am“Godwin this, Godwin that”
That’s all I see…
To be more exact:
“I lose! I lose!”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:40 amThis was caused by flying a helicopter through the glide path of incoming flights.
STUPID EFFING HELICOPTER PILOT!!!1!!!
Even when told to alter course to avoid the plane (by going behind it) the pilot apparently turned to try to pass in front of it.
And he really should have been nowhere near that altitude. I bet he was trying to show off.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:44 am“So you’re saying this accident is the result of desegregation?”
Question: Which president ordered the military to stop playing games and actually desegregate?
Answer: Eisenhower. Truman’s order was largely gamed by having a separate “colored” company in each regiment. Ike told them to disburse colored officers and troops throughout and stop enforcing Jim Crow on Southern bases.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:47 amThe FAA has also lacked an Administrator since January 20th
What has that to do with air traffic controllers? Do you think they were all discombobulated by a lack of an Administrator? Half of them probably couldn’t name the old one.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:49 amDUI hire, Pete Hegseth.
HE was never charged with DUI. There is a false rumor that originated on a satire page. But it’s false.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:51 am@7
You have it backwards.
DEI programs, itself, are racist.
But, hey, Democrats like you are still salty when a Republican freed the slaves.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:53 amOTOH, we should be buying condoms for Hamas. Also, paying for lower sex reassignment surgery if done in Israeli hospitals.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 11:55 amIt wasn’t intended to be literal, Kevin. His drunkenness among colleagues is documented.
Paul Montagu (1888f5) — 1/30/2025 @ 12:04 pm@17
Not on the job.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 12:55 pmWhat an embarrassing clown. Still not as stupid as his “they’re eating the pets” lie.
Time123 (296c59) — 1/30/2025 @ 1:29 pmI wonder if he’s just lying because it’s convenient, or if he got confused that the “black” in “Blackhawk” has a racial / DEI meaning?
Let’s take a poll, is it more likely Trump is lying or stupid?
Open to another option if any of his supports can articulate a plausible one.
Time123 (296c59) — 1/30/2025 @ 1:33 pmThe people who can’t believe Trump’s stupidity for intimating that DEI might have contributed to the accident, seem to nonetheless know for sure that it did not.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/30/2025 @ 1:42 pmDecades ago, a PSA 727 flying into San Diego collided with a cessna on a training flight in broad daylight. same sad result.
Small planes should not be permitted near commercial airport flightpaths unless commercial traffic is an hour away.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/30/2025 @ 1:48 pmFalse.
Paul Montagu (3fa619) — 1/30/2025 @ 1:48 pm@22
LOL!!! The NewYorker.
Nope. Miss me with that.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 1:56 pm“seem to nonetheless know for sure that it did not.”
Surely Trump wouldn’t make the accusation without evidence. I’m sure he just forgot to show it.
Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:00 pm@19
Maybe stop trying so hard to feed your animus by pulling things out of your nether region?
Here’s a far more plausible one:
DEI is, at it’s roots, a Marxist concept designed to specifically divide people into racial groups and to give cover to Democrats push racist policies.
Because race, being the all consuming qualities sought out by the prior Democrat administration, rather than competencies for the job at hand, is not that far-fetch to presume that we’re not sending our “best” in these situations.
In sure, DEI is a principle that can, and likely, cause loss of preventable lives.
Your visceral reaction to presume racial animus in Trump’s part, simply tells me that your priorities are out of whack.
Trump’s been on the job for all of 5 minutes. We are still feeling the effect of the prior administration’s maladministration and it’s going to take more than 5 minutes for the Trump administration to figure out what the F truly happened.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:02 pm@24
Surely he wouldn’t accuse the Border Patrol for whipping those illegal migrants.
…oh, wait.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:03 pmDave, He just thinks his supporters are stupid enough to assume “back”hawk means it’s a DEI thing.
Time123 (296c59) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:04 pmWhembly, I’m making fun of him and his defenders because they not doing what you said and waiting to find out what happened before declaring it DEI.
I just can’t decide if it’s driven more by stupidity or dishonesty.
Time123 (296c59) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:06 pm“Surely he wouldn’t accuse the Border Patrol for whipping those illegal migrants.”
So was that bad, or was it ok? you can’t have it both ways.
Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:12 pm@28
The probably is, people don’t wait till all the facts are here.
It’s an emotional response.
It’s a human response to find a the culprit, and honestly, DEI isn’t a bad one to latch on to imo.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:22 pm@29
No, no.
I’m absolutely having it both ways.
You don’t get to push an obviously false premise milking that toxic cow, and then when you’re team is out of power demand some strict adherence to the facts.
No.
FO with that BS.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:25 pm“You don’t get to push an obviously false premise milking that toxic cow, and then when you’re team is out of power demand some strict adherence to the facts.”
yes, instead you demand a strict adherence to the facts when you’re out of power, then push an obviously false premise milking that toxic cow. I understand now.
Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:29 pmI’m just playing by your rules. (I never accused the border patrol of anything, so you’re strawmanning me in addition to everything else).
Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:30 pm@29, it was bad. It was dishonest and bad leadership and since Biden did something bad nothing anyone else ever does or did can ever be criticized….I think that was the point…..
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:31 pmFurthermore, it’s simply a fact that the ATC was short-staffed due to ridiculous diversity quotas (aka DEI-ism) that saw thousands of qualified applications thrown in the garbage by the previous administration.
HOWEVER, we don’t know what truly happens.
Until then, there is only speculations.
As speculated, if DEI hiring policies caused the ATC staffing shortages and the ATC stagging shortages are, in part, (speculation so far) then the effects of the DEI hiring policies are absolutely to blame.
Speculatively, and allegedly.
This isn’t some intricate Sherlock Holmes speculation.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:32 pmWhembly, So should I put you down for Trump being Stupid? Seems like you’re saying he’s stupid but that its understandable for him to jump to baseless conclusions and share them in a national press conference because saying it was caused by an unqualified minority is a human thing to do.
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:33 pmToddler mother and grand mother arrested and taken to immigration jail for being illegal aliens for speaking spanish. Problem they were all american citizens. (DU)
asset (0d71e1) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:33 pm@33
lol.
Ok.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:33 pm@37, link?
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:35 pmOr accuse Trump inspired militias of terrorizing FEMA, or accuse Texas National Guard of letting migrants drown….
lloyd (77510e) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:36 pm@36
Yes, it’s dumb.
Yes, it’s understandable and the painful loss of life, it’s all to easy to try to assign blame.
Yes, its easy to make the case that the previous administration’s policies has made us unsafer with their policies.
Welcome to the ugly parts politics.
Political leaders will respond even without knowing the full facts and speculate.
Here’s my shocked pikacu face.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:37 pm@35, Also, Whembly you’re doing the thing where you defend Tumps most recent stupidity because he’s on your team. Which seems to be pushing you to take some contorted positions. Are you sure you don’t just want to say something like “Yeah it was stupid of Trump to jump to conclusions because we don’t have any facts, but given what I know i won’t be shocked if his wild guess turns out to be right” or something similar?
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:38 pmCross post. Seems like you took my advice before i even offered it.
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:39 pmTime123, just quit the BS and cut to the chase. Trump and all of us who voted for him are racists. Quit wasting everyone’s time.
lloyd (77510e) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:39 pm@40 Also:
lloyd (77510e) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:41 pm“Trump fired all the IGs.” -Time123
Bad ones will. Good ones will urge calm and not fling baseless accusations that further divide us. But the voters had bad options and picked a lying sack of grievance so this is what we get. Mencken was right.
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:42 pmHi Lloyd, I disagree with your comment in 44. While it’s common to universalize from your own perspective i don’t think everyone that voted for Trump is racist.
I notice in 45 you seem to be confused about hyperbole again? Can you be clearer on what part you still don’t get?
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:45 pmTrump and all of us who voted for him are racists.
Trump is not a racist. He is, however, quite stupid.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:48 pmIn the middle of the night?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:49 pm>DEI programs, itself, are racist.
President Trump sees an accident and, without doing any investigation or letting the investigators have time to do an investigation, *assumes* that the reason for the accident is that *obviously* someone involved was inappropriately promoted or hired because of their race. It’s just common sense, right?
The fact that he’s fixated on that and jumping to that conclusion without any evidence says something about *his* views on race — obviously the guilty party isn’t white and was promoted or hired unjustifiably.
How is that not racist? It’s *possible* that this is true, but the evidence-free assumption that it’s true condemns Trump.
aphrael (dbf41f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:49 pmOK, maybe he’s a racist, too.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:50 pm> The probably is, people don’t wait till all the facts are here.
> It’s an emotional response.
Sure, except that:
(a) the nature of the emotional response indicates a lot about the person having it, and
(b) any leader worth their salt as a leader doesn’t say this sort of thing publically without evidence to back it up.
aphrael (dbf41f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:51 pmJust wait.😉
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:51 pm> Trump and all of us who voted for him are racists.
I don’t think all of Trump’s supporters are racits. I think it’s abundantly clear that Trump is.
aphrael (dbf41f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:51 pm@47 I get that you lied Time123, with the facts right in front of you. At least in Trump’s case the facts aren’t in yet.
lloyd (77510e) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:52 pm@51 LMAO Love the timing.
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:53 pmSource?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:53 pmIn the middle of the night?
To the passenger. Although since there was only one of those maybe not.
But as it happens, the real fault was flying at 200 feet altitude in front of the runway approach. That flight path should be excluded. At the very least he should cross that at a much higher altitude than a landing plane is likely to be (e.g. 1000 feet).
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:53 pmTo be fair to Hesgeth, a person who can avoid being drunk at work (even from the “hair of the dog”) and gets no DUIs might just be a binge drinker and not an alcoholic. Alcoholism is far more than occasionally getting sh1t-faced. Alcoholism is an addiction and like all addictions it’s immune to attempts to control.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:58 pm@55 so you thought my statement, with a link to news article that provided the details was an attempt to deceive you and not an exaggeration for effect? And you think this despite my prompt acknowledgement of that actual number, and prompt apology for misleading or confusing you?
I’m at a loss for what else I can say to rectify the situation.
But I do appreciate you acknowledging that Trump is lying.
So let’s see, Whembly, Kevin and Dave voting for “stupid” Aphreel is voting Racist, and you’re voting for Trump is lying.
Seems like a wide split.
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:59 pmBut I’m glad we can all agree he’s doing a terrible job on this Crash.
Time123 (1de579) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:01 pmAt least in Trump’s case the facts aren’t in yet.
Why this doesn’t bother Trump is a mystery. Of course this is a LOT like Biden blaming every gun crime on the NRA and the Supreme Court. The facts don’t matter when you are preaching to the choir.
Or maybe I misread. Are you arguing that the facts might eventually support what Trump said, in some sort of reality-alignment?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:05 pmI don’t think the helicopter pilot was showboating. The helicopter crew was conducting a “Continuity of Government” training mission details here which (i’m assuming here) is an activity that needs to be done quickly and may possibly involve cutting some corners. I think that maybe this particular route needs to be re-evaluated.
Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:06 pmThis is probably a better link, more detail.
Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:10 pm@57
Google is your friend.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:12 pmhttps://viewfromthewing.com/diversity-in-the-skies-faas-controversial-shift-in-air-traffic-controller-hiring/v
Here’s another:
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:13 pmhttps://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/may/14/dei-has-jeopardized-air-safety/
ATC staffing shortages has been a longstanding problem; the FAA barely breaks even between new hires and retirements, so they are permanently behind the 8-ball. Candidates need to obtain a security clearance, pass medical exams and background checks, and be willing to relocate to anywhere in the US. The FAA training alone can take several months, followed by 2-3 years of on the job training before becoming certified.
Like most air traffic control towers, the one at Reagan National Airport was understaffed:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:23 pmHardly a neutral source. It’s an an op-ed by Adam Laxalt.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:25 pmVacation Discounts for Sex and New Award Alert Email Option?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:26 pmApparently not for your argument. LOL!
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:28 pm24: Davethulu – – I hope he has evidence as good as the media that wondered all thru 2024 “why Biden” didn’t get credit” for the terrific economy, while admonishing us that Joe was sharp as a tack and the GOP was relying on “deepfakes.”
BTW did he say it was “caused” by DEI or only use the accident to remind people that DEI had wormed its way into the FAA and he was abolishing it?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:41 pm@10
Did you look at the DC helicopter Chart? The helicopter pilot was off by only a hundred feet. Had he been a hundred feet lower and a little farther east the two aircraft would have missed each other. It’s probable that the helicopter pilots mistook another airplane for the RJ. There was an American Airlines Airbus A319 in trail behind the RJ.
https://skyvector.com
purplehaze (2ff7c0) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:59 pmI meant to include this link
purplehaze (2ff7c0) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:01 pmpurplehaze (2ff7c0) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:02 pm
Potomac Mid Air UPDATE 1/30/25
purplehaze (2ff7c0) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:04 pmDenial noted, and it’s not the first time.
Paul Montagu (3fa619) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:18 pmaphrael (dbf41f) — 1/30/2025 @ 2:49 pm
Trump didn’t do that. He talked only about the FAA wanting to hire people with disabilities.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:30 pmpurplehaze, thanks for that link. Very informative.
Nate (cfb326) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:30 pmPurple haze. Thank you for the informative comment.
Time123 (296c59) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:40 pmTrump cannot stop campaigning. He needs to maintain his popular support in order to keep his Congressional support. He must keep pitching to the suckers and be careful not to wise up the chumps.
Besides, what else can he do half as well?
nk (430d00) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:41 pmHarcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/30/2025 @ 3:41 pm
He didn’t say it was caused by DEA. I think that at first he thought it was the hiring of bad air traffic controllers that was responsible for the accident but by the time he gave the press conference he knew that ATC and the American Airlines pilot probably had no responsibility for the accident and he was careful not to say that. But he had a beautiful pearl (the argument that the FAA was incredibly stupid under Biden) and he didn’t want to give it up.
I found Trump well informed (better informed than his appointees) except for not knowing what “Continuity of government” had to do with the reason for practice flight at night by the Blackhawk helicopter. He seemed to think it had something to do with the change in administrations or maybe was just another word for training. He also thought that the height of the plane and helicopter should have been different. But I think the plane was landing and this constantly changing height.
Trump was quite knowledgeable about aviation (he owns a plane or two and one ran an airline for a short while) He said helicopters could stand still in the air or move up and down front and back and sideways.
Military pilots called radio stations and were saying that w told the helicopter to avoid the airplane, and asked if they saw it and they said they did, they were looking at the wrong airplane. Maybe ATC should have said American Airlines or gave its position – like say at 8 O’Clock.hen ATC
The crash took place over the river (400 feet up?) because the helicopter was flying a course, north to south along the river. At least at some point in the past someone had been careful to s
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:43 pmselect a route that was only over water.
I think “Continuity of government” is about testing preparations for another 9/11.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:44 pmSome things should not be tested out.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/30/2025 @ 4:44 pmA confluence of events:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 5:52 pmThe ATC system should be privatized, as it is in numerous countries such as Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, and New Zealand. It would result in greater efficiencies and faster adoption of new technologies. The Clinton Administration made such a proposal:
References removed. But of course it never happened and we are stuck with a system developed in the 1930s.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/30/2025 @ 6:15 pmPrivatizing ATC will increase the cost to airline passegengers and probably exacerbate a pilot shortage. The cost of flying is most other countries is much more expensive than here and for that reason foreign pilots train here.
THE COSTS OF PRIVATIZING
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT
AIRLINE TRAVELERS
https://www.european-flight-academy.com/en/location-usa
purplehaze (2ff7c0) — 1/30/2025 @ 7:55 pmI read about the idea of privatizing air traffic control before (supposedly to make it safer, but that would depend on how exactly it is privatized) but didn’t read the idea that air traffic control would cost more money. Is that a function of something more than just being a bigger, more robust, system?
Sammy Finkelman (e1abca) — 1/30/2025 @ 8:24 pmThere was only one ATC handling the helicopter (plus some planes) and not the standard of two, CBS said.
Sammy Finkelman (e1abca) — 1/30/2025 @ 8:27 pmATC Privatization Pitfalls: Point by Point
@87
Rips argument is that privatization will result in greater efficiencies and although he didn’t say it reduce costs. The counter argument is that it won’t. It’s a private monopoly and the government is still involved. The other issue is who pays for what and who benefits from it. Most proposals that I’ve heard of propose user fees.
purplehaze (2ff7c0) — 1/30/2025 @ 9:35 pm@39 NBC hispanic.
asset (20529b) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:31 pmD.E.I. comes from affirmative action. Back in the late 1960’s when black people were burning down a city a week. One week newark the next week detroit and returning black vietnam vets were joining militant groups like the black panthers and black liberation army to use their military training to strike back at institutional racism. The white powerful elites who run this country (called deep state now) decided if we give black people jobs in the building they might not burn the building down! What a concept. Writing soul brother on window of tiffanys or sax fifth avenue wasn’t working to well. The donor class pushing D.E.I. was a lot cheaper then letting Bernie Sanders and AOC take over the democrat party with their 15$ dollar minimum wage and 70% income tax.
asset (20529b) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:51 pmPurple Haze, I’m really loving your comments and participation. Thank you for sharing what you know.
Time123 (199990) — 1/31/2025 @ 4:44 amAsset, It’s like the Romney —> Trump path for the Dems.
“If centrists like Biden can’t win and accomplish something, and if our political opponents label any democrat as a godless communist, we might as well vote for the extreme members of out party and see what they can do.”
I can see it happening. Harris sucked in almost every way, but she was to the left edge of center left. AOC and Sanders aren’t.
Time123 (199990) — 1/31/2025 @ 4:50 am@75
Very informative purple. Thanks for this.
whembly (b7cc46) — 1/31/2025 @ 6:32 amUsers, not the taxpayers, should pay. Why should the ATC be subsidized by non-flying taxpayers?
Rip Murdock (3644d2) — 1/31/2025 @ 6:50 amATC controllers are still using paper strips to track aircraft. The FAA has been trying to implement its Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) since 2007 and it isn’t scheduled to fully implemented until 2030, by which time the FAA would have spent $35B installing technology will probably be obsolete.
Rip Murdock (3644d2) — 1/31/2025 @ 7:07 am@95
Because they benefit from it. Privatized ATC will be nothing more than a government sanctioned monopoly that is still regulated by the government and controlled by special interests rather than competitive market forces. I gotta give Delta Airlines credit for standing out from the crowd. Some functions of ATC are already outsourced.
https://www.natca.org/federal-contract-tower-air-traffic-controllers/
Sean Wright (05dea1) — 1/31/2025 @ 8:53 am@95
Because they benefit from it. Privatized ATC will be nothing more than a government sanctioned monopoly that is still regulated by the government and controlled by special interests rather than competitive market forces. I gotta give Delta Airlines credit for standing out from the crowd. Some functions of ATC are already outsourced.
Federal Contract Tower Air Traffic Controllers
Purplehaze (05dea1) — 1/31/2025 @ 8:58 amIn addition, relying on congressional appropriations is ridiculous for an enterprise that can be run like business, unlike many other government operations. It took three temporary reauthorizations of FAA’s funding authority before a long-term reauthorization was enacted in May 2024.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/31/2025 @ 8:59 amThe FAA has been doing such a bang-up job so far that we can’t change, huh?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/31/2025 @ 9:03 amThat’s just the nature of the service. But a privatized ATC would be free of government personnel rules, be able to reallocate resources with congressional approval, and implement technological change faster than taking 23 years.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/31/2025 @ 9:05 amNo different than private utilities are monopolies that are sanctioned and regulated by the government.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/31/2025 @ 9:10 amCorrection to post 100:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/31/2025 @ 9:20 amThat isn’t necessarily true. Case in point the airlines and The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2010 and the 1500 hour rule. If there was ever reason why Congress shouldn’t be involved, the 1500 hour rule is it.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/5900/text
The meat and potatoes of it is on the last two pages.
Purplehaze (05dea1) — 1/31/2025 @ 10:18 amPurplehaze, You have a lot of knowledge this. Thank you for sharing.
Time123 (17fa64) — 1/31/2025 @ 11:09 amSince we’re talking about ATC, It might come as a surprise to you and others that many airports in this country don’t have air traffic control towers.
Accident: Jetblue A320 at Hayden on Jan 22nd 2022, tail strike on takeoff, B350 on short final in opposite direction There is a link to the NTSB’s final report in the linked article.
Operations at non towered airports
Purplehaze (05dea1) — 1/31/2025 @ 11:50 amTranscript of the press briefing Trump held at the White House about the D.C. aviation disaster yesterday morning:
https://www.rev.com/transcripts/trump-speaks-on-d-c-plane-crash
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/31/2025 @ 12:01 pmAfter the crash of TWA Flight 800, and after 9/11 it took some considerable length of time to get recordings of air traffic control exchange.
But now there are people who keep track of them
https://www.liveatc.net
That’s why we know this:
https://www.newser.com/story/363523/air-traffic-control-gave-seemingly-ordinary-instruction.html
There were two airliners of the same type in the vicinity – one taking off and one landing. It was the one that was landing that the helicopter crashed into.
The airliner was exactly where it was supposed to be. The helicopter was where it is never supposed to go.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/31/2025 @ 12:21 pmThere was a near miss the previous day, and the ATC made what turned out to be a fatal decision by directing the airliner to a different than usual runway,
Sammy Finkelman (9b4d3c) — 1/31/2025 @ 1:44 pmTrump got a question on Rwanda – an almost ignored war – and seemed knowledgeable – at least familiar with the situation.
He actually seemed solemn much of the time in that press briefing,
He grades reporters on their questions. As good or bad.
Sammy Finkelman (9b4d3c) — 1/31/2025 @ 1:48 pmThe Black Hawk pilot is responsible for the disaster. Too high and out of the corridor.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 12:27 am