Current and former air traffic controllers are raising concerns about the Federal Aviation Administration’s hiring practices and “immunity program,” warning that these issues may have contributed to the recent midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

According to former air traffic controllers, the FAA’s emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices that began during the Obama administration led to the employment of less qualified controllers and a staffing shortage, a concern that was first echoed by President Donald Trump during a press conference following the deadly disaster, Just the News reporteed
Combined with an “immunity program” that does not hold controllers accountable for mistakes, these factors are believed to have contributed to the January 29 collision between an American Airlines plane and a U.S Army helicopter, which resulted in both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River near the Washington, D.C., area airport, killing all 67 people aboard.