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The blame game over the air crash in Washington which saw 67 people lose their lives when a military helicopter hit a civilian aircraft, centers around a mix that includes leadership incompetence, DEI hiring, return to office mandates, a hiring freeze and, of course, Elon Musk.
Following the tragedy over the Potomac river in Washington DC, before the cause of the accident was formally established, President Donald Trump was quick to blame the Federal Aviation Authority’s DEI hiring program, saying: “A group within the FAA determined that the workforce was too white, then they had concerted efforts to get the administration to change that and to change it immediately,” he added. “This was in the Obama administration.”
He added: “The FAA diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing.”
Trump blamed former President Biden’s administration for encouraging the FAA to recruit workers “who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.” He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”
'Truly disgusting'
His comments prompted a heated response from those outside his administration. Rep. Yvette Clark, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said: “The opportunity to fully focus our sympathies on those who are in mourning and who may not have even retrieved their dearly departed was marred by a truly disgusting and disgraceful display of racist political prognostication.”
“There’s no sliding scale when it comes to pilots. Everyone has to meet the industry standards, and they are high,” Eric Hendrick, a former pilot and current director of pilot outreach for Delta Airlines, told NBC News about Trump’s executive order last week. “So to weaponize DEI by saying it could threaten public safety is just ridiculous.”
Federal hiring freeze
Critics of Trump have suggested the administration’s federal hiring freeze and return-to-work mandates could have affected federal aviation employees, although it’s unclear to what extent.
The blanket hiring freeze said that “no federal civilian position that is vacant at noon on January 20 2025, may be filled, and no new position may be created”, but exempted public safety positions, which could include air traffic control.
Trump forced also out the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administrator, David Pekoske, and gutted an aviation security advisory committee. A prior division leader at the TSA warned that the effort to end remote work would lead to attrition and a loss of knowledge at the agency.
Having announced his intention to do so back in December, Michael Whitaker stepped down as FAA administrator on January 20th, the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, and ten days before the crash, following a clash with Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX is regulated by the agency.
Musk publicly called on Whitaker to resign after the FAA fined SpaceX for failing to get approval for launch changes.
Gaps in FAA leadership
Christopher Rocheleau was formally appointed as acting administrator on Thursday - after the crash took place - with Trump filmed in the Oval Office signing the executive order for it, somewhat performatively.
Rocheleau is very experienced, having previously served as the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) chief operating officer for the past three years. Before joining NBAA in 2022, he spent over 20 years at the FAA in various roles, including acting associate administrator for aviation safety, chief of staff, assistant administrator for policy, international affairs, and environment, executive director for international affairs, and director of the office of emergency operations and investigations.
He also served as a United States Air Force (USAF) officer and special agent, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2010. He was also an early TSA leader, managing Intelligence Operations Watch and advising on transportation policy.
The FAA leadership currently has no deputy adminstrator, no chief counsel, no assistant administrator and two acting heads as associate administrator; chief of staff, and assistant administrator.
