Air traffic control tower at Reagan airport was understaffed at time of American Airlines disaster, FAA report finds as scandalous practices under Biden are revealed | 30 Jan 2025 | Air traffic control staffing at DC Airport was "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic" when an airline and an army helicopter collided. That is one of the findings of an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety report on Wednesday night's air disaster at Regan National. Chronic understaffing at air traffic control towers is nothing new, with only 19 employed at DC in 2023, but the report found it complicated procedures that night. Sixty passengers, four crew, and three U.S. Army personnel are believed to be dead after the collision 400ft over the Potomac River. President Trump spent almost all his 11am press conference blaming supposed DEI programs at the FAA for the crash. "The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website," he said.