Donald Trump again points the finger of blame after DC crash kills 67 people
Donald Trump again points the finger of blame after DC crash kills 67 people
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Outspoken Donald Trump has today blamed the horror Washington DC crash on what he branded an "obsolete" computer system used by US air traffic controllers. The President has now vowed to replace it and instead create "a great computerised system for our control towers". Mr Trump, 78, alluded to a system he uses in his private jet - from another country - when he addressed reporters one week on from the tragedy near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Speaking today at the Capitol Building, Mr Trump said the US has spent billions of dollars trying to "renovate an old, broken system" instead of investing in a new one. The Republican added: "I think what is going to happen is we’re all going to sit down and do a great computerised system for our control towers.". All 64 people aboard the American Airlines plane - flying to Washington DC from Wichita, Kansas - died in the horror, which saw both the plane and the Army helicopter burst into flames. The three soldiers in the chopper, which was on a training exercise, also died.
Mr Trump was condemned when he had initially blamed the disaster, the deadliest air crash in the US since November 2001, on diversity hiring programmes. His scathing remarks led to large companies, including Google, to review - or in some cases scrap - their diversity hiring targets. Now, the world leader has taken a different tack, taking aim at the air traffic control system used every day to safely land and depart millions of passengers at the nation's airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said yesterday Elon Musk will help upgrade the air traffic control technology.
The helicopter's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) — an aviation surveillance technology that transmits aircraft location and other data to air traffic control and other aircraft — was off at the time of impact on Wednesday January 29. The reason for this remains unclear. The US Army Corps of Engineers said yesterday all major components of the helicopter and jet have been removed from the river. Salvage crews will work to remove smaller debris with baskets over the next 10 days before finishing work on February 16.
