Watson Coleman Asks NTSB Head Point Blank If DC Crash 'Happened Because Of DEI' Like Trump Claimed

2 days ago

During a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) asked NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy if the DC helicopter-plane crash was caused by DEI policies like President Trump claimed without evidence.

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00Thank you, chairman, and thank you very much for the work that you all do.

00:07You had indicated that there had been 1500 near collisions near the airspace around the

00:14Reagan airport.

00:15Is that for the last couple of years?

00:17Did I hear that right?

00:1915,214 close proximity events.

00:23That doesn't mean that they were near collisions, but close proximity events where the vertical

00:28and lateral separation was too small of a margin.

00:34That was dating back to 21?

00:3721 to 2024.

00:40Right.

00:43Were you, did your organization make observations about how to improve those particular threats

00:53of safety?

00:55We just issued urgent recommendations to the FAA, which they did swiftly adopt, to prohibit

01:03helicopter traffic while planes are landing or departing on runway 15 and runway 33, and

01:15to determine an alternative route that could be in use while aircraft are coming in on

01:22that runway.

01:23When were those recommendations made?

01:25Was that after this particular collision?

01:28That was on March 11th.

01:30We issued urgent safety recommendations as a result of our investigation.

01:35So that's after the collision?

01:36Yes.

01:37Even though this has been a problem, this sort of proximity issue has been a problem

01:43since at least 2021 that we've been tracking.

01:46Is that right?

01:48We were not tracking that as part of our investigation.

01:51We got that data from FAA as part of our investigation, and that's what we were able

01:55to begin basing our urgent safety recommendations on.

02:01Total out of the box question.

02:05My understanding is that there is a concept called single pilot operations, and that there

02:13are European countries that are considering this.

02:17This results in reducing crew operations during cruise.

02:22From a safety perspective, do you have a position on this?

02:26We have not issued a recommendation on two pilots.

02:31However, in the Austin near miss investigation, we had a finding that said the pilots in the

02:38FedEx plane, which were two, it was the two pilots and the fact that there were two pilots

02:44that really saved the day that day and prevented a collision and potential fatalities.

02:52So some of us who are being told all the time flying is the safest way of traveling, we're

02:57scared right now, actually.

02:59One last question that I want to understand.

03:05The President of the United States made a really very poor, unsubstantiated lack of

03:12evidence comment about this particular collision at Reagan.

03:19And he said that it was related to DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

03:26I know that's crazy, but did you find anything in the investigation thus far that would support

03:34that notion that this accident happened because of diversity, equity, and inclusion?

03:44I was in the Oval Office that morning and met with the President and the Vice President

03:49and Secretary Hexeth and Secretary Duffian, the FAA administrator.

03:55And I did go to the press briefing.

03:58The President held a moment of silence.

04:01He talked about the focus on safety for the investigation.

04:06He talked about having a report quickly.

04:09I'm sorry, ma'am, because my time has expired.

04:12I just need you to answer that particular aspect of my question.

04:17Was there a legitimate reason for the President to associate the tragedy that took place with

04:25diversity, equity, and inclusion, which means that we weren't holding pilots to be all

04:36white straight males?

04:39Yes or no is the answer.

04:42Was there any?

04:43I can't speak for the President, and we haven't finished our investigation.

04:47Okay.

04:48Well, I do hope that when you finish your investigation, that...

04:52There was a preliminary report.

04:55Did your preliminary report include anything of that ilk?

04:59We still have to evaluate all training and qualifications documents.

05:02Let me just tell you, this is not the time to allow these misstatements to be made and

05:11to be unaccounted for because it negatively impacts both what the general public thinks

05:19and is concerned about, but it also impacts the people who are trying to do their jobs.

05:26And there's nothing that we have found that diversity, equity, and inclusion has created

05:33negatively in people doing their job.

05:36On the contrary, loyalty and sick offense seems to be the order of the day, and it's

05:43definitely negatively impacting this federal government doing its job.

05:48Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I do yield back.

05:51I try to be very generous.

Watson Coleman Asks NTSB Head Point Blank If DC Crash 'Happened Because Of DEI' Like Trump Claimed

Category

Transcript

Recommended