Two deadly aviation disasters within days of each other have sparked national debate over air traffic safety, with many questioning the impact of recent federal policies on aviation regulation.
2025 began with a deadly aviation disaster that claimed the lives of 67 people over the Potomac River on January 29th when a Bombardier CRJ700 was struck by a UH-60 Black Hawk just minutes before its scheduled landing. A Medical Learjet then crashed in Philadelphia just two days after the Potomac river crash, killing six people onboard, one on the ground and injuring many others as buildings caught fire.
Many have pointed fingers at President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency established to reshape federal operations including the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). Many people argue that budget cuts and deregulation efforts by DOGE have compromised air traffic safety. However, officials say that there is most likely a combined issue.
Aviation investigative authorities, such as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA have both launched investigations into both of these recent accidents. Initial reports show that the Potomac collision may have been associated with a miscommunication between the air traffic control tower and the pilots inside of the UH-60.
Quickly after this accident, President Trump immediately jumped to blame Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for this plane crash, specifically its impact on air traffic controllers. Although Mr. Trump made this claim, there is no evidence to support that DEI is a leading factor for this incident.
OHS Junior Liam Frost, who is a licensed pilot, shared his perspective on the situation. “I believe DOGE’s attacks towards the FAA will worsen a problem that is already prevalent among most ATC facilities.” Frost, who has closely followed recent changes in aviation policy, pointed out that most ATC towers operate below FAA standards. He believes that DOGE will only lead to more understaffing.
Investigative efforts have led to the uncovering of a few noteworthy factors into the Potomac River Crash. The permitted flight ceiling of the Potomac River is 200 ft (60m) due to the heavy flow of military vessels in the area, but investigations show that the helicopter was about 300 to 400 feet in the air which is incredibly odd.
Along with the strange flight altitude of the helicopter, this specific runway in the Reagan National Airport has been home to numerous “near miss” accidents; three of them involving helicopters that were at an altitude above the permitted flight ceiling.
