‘We’re all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers—brand new, not pieced together, obsolete,’ the president said.
President Donald Trump on Feb. 6 said he will meet with congressional leaders to seek the passage of legislation overhauling U.S. air traffic control systems after an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet collided midair last week near Washington, killing all 67 passengers and crew members.
Trump made the comments before lawmakers at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. While reflecting on the close call when a bullet grazed his ear during the July 2024 attempt on his life, the president said the Jan. 29 tragedy “should remind us all that we have to make the most out of every single day we have.”
He said the disaster highlights the need for upgraded systems at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) air traffic control, which has been working with antiquated technology for years.
“We should have had better equipment,” Trump said. “We have obsolete equipment. They were understaffed for whatever reason. I guess the helicopter was high, and we’ll find out exactly what happened.”
The president said that, regardless of the mistakes that caused the crash,