It was a routine change of runways, but it spelled disaster for a passenger plane and an Army helicopter in the nation’s capital.
The New York Times reported Friday that Wednesday night’s mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport was preceded by air traffic controllers directing American Airlines Flight 5342 away from the airport’s main runway.
The collision that followed left 67 passengers, crew, and soldiers dead, according to the Associated Press.
According to the Times, the passenger plane was initially cleared to land at Runway 1, Reagan National’s main runway.
Instead, the plane was directed to Runway 33, an intersecting runway.
These are the last communications of the AAL5342 pilots with the main Air Traffic Control Tower at DCA, Reagan National Airport.
Originally, 5342 was slated to land at Runway 01, before being moved to Runway 33. The accident occurred just short of Runway 33. pic.twitter.com/8dX15YE7se
— Jess Fields (@jessalanfields) January 30, 2025
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO FROM DC PLANE CRASH.
1) Midair collision occurred 1/2 mile from start of runway 33.
2) AA regional jet and Blackhawk helicopter went down in Potomac.pic.twitter.com/d3wVF87fdI
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 30, 2025
It was not an unusual maneuver, according to sources cited by the Times.
“That decision, according to the person who was briefed on the event and two other people who are familiar with the airport’s air traffic, happens routinely when regional jets like the American Airlines aircraft are involved, and may have been made to help keep air traffic moving efficiently by not clogging the main runway,” the Times reported.
Still, it will no doubt figure in the investigation of the crash, which was the nation’s deadliest since 2001, according to the AP.
Meanwhile, political fallout from the collision continues.
President Donald Trump has raised questions about whether the “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies of the Obama and Biden administrations played a role in the tragedy.
Only a week before, among his first acts in office, Trump signed an executive order banning DEI-focused hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration.
Liberal media figures, on the other hand, caused a social media uproar by trying, unsuccessfully, to link the disaster to Trump’s order a week before, freezing the hiring of federal employees.
They quickly deleted the posts and, in some cases, apologized.
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