Trump blames FAA diversity initiatives for Washington DC air collision that killed 67

US President Donald Trump has blamed diversity initiatives for undermining air safety and questioned the actions of a US Army helicopter pilot involved in a mid-air collision with a commercial airliner, in America’s worst aviation disaster in more than two decades.

All 67 people aboard the two aircraft were killed in the crash on Wednesday evening which happened when an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, was landing at Washington Reagan National Airport.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River after the helicopter appeared to fly into the path of the AA aircraft.

"Some really bad things happened and some things happened that shouldn't have happened," the president said from the White House briefing room.

Trump blamed former President Joe Biden's administration for encouraging the Federal Aviation Administration 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 programme allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and "dwarfism."

Trump did not share any evidence that unqualified people were being put in critical positions like air traffic control and he acknowledged that there was as yet no indication that air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport made any mistakes.

Asked why he was blaming diversity initiatives, Trump said, "because I have common sense and unfortunately a lot of people don’t.”

Trump complained specifically about Pete Buttigieg, who was Biden's transport secretary and was a contender to challenge Trump for the White House in 2020, calling him "a disaster."

Buttigieg responded in a post on X, calling Trump's comments "despicable."

"As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying," he added.

Mid-air collision

The crash occurred before 9pm local time in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, around 4.8 kilometres south of the White House and the Capitol.

A federal investigation is under way but probes into air crashes can take months and investigators told reporters they would not speculate on the cause of the collision.

The flight data recorders have been recovered from AA flight 5342 late on Thursday evening and the National Transportation Safety Board said they are currently being analysed in their labs.

The plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water and first responders were searching miles of the Potomac, said Washington DC fire chief, John Donnelly.

The helicopter wreckage was also found.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the plane was making a normal approach when "the military aircraft came into the path" of the jet.

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press.

Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30pm, once traffic begins to slow down.

On Wednesday the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.

"The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic," the report said.

A person familiar with the matter, however, said the tower staffing that night was at a normal level.

The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, during shift changes or when air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

The Federal Aviation Administration has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers.

Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita carrying, among others, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.

A top Army aviation official said the crew of the helicopter, a Black Hawk, was "very experienced" and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around the city.

"Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn't something new to either one of them," said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.

The helicopter's maximum allowed altitude at the time was around 60 metres, Koziol said.

It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision.

Executive orders

After his press conference, the White House invited reporters into the Oval Office to watch Trump sign another executive order that officials said would stop "woke policies" in federal aviation.

Trump had already signed an executive order ending diversity initiatives at the FAA last week.

"We want the most competent people," Trump said. "We don’t care what race they are."

Asked if he plans to visit the crash site, Trump said he would meet with family members of the victims.

"What's the site? The water? You want me to go swimming?" the president asked.