FAA Diversity Hiring Practices and Trump's Claims

Misbar has investigated the accuracy of Trump's statements

Sixty-seven people are presumed dead following a midair collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter near Washington DC's Ronald Reagan airport on Wednesday evening.

Authorities have recovered the flight data recorders from the American Airlines jet and continue to find bodies in the icy Potomac River where the plane fell. Flight-tracking data suggests the helicopter may have been flying above its permitted altitude minutes before the collision, but the investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause.

Officials are examining possible contributing factors, including human error. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began its first full day of investigation on Thursday and plans to release a preliminary report in 30 days.

Despite admitting he had no evidence and was relying on "common sense," President Trump suggested that the efforts to hire more people with disabilities and diversify the ranks of the FAA were responsible for the accident. Misbar has investigated the accuracy of the president's statements.

Trump's Comments on FAA's Diversity Hiring Practices

President Trump claimed that the FAA was actively recruiting workers with severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.

President Trump stated: "This was before I got to office recently. The second term, the F.A.A. 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."

However, Misbar's investigation reveals a different picture. In April 2019, during Trump's previous term, the FAA launched a pilot program to employ 20 individuals with targeted disabilities in air traffic operations. These targeted disabilities are a set of legally defined conditions that the federal government prioritizes for recruitment. The program aimed to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities, ensuring they met the rigorous standards required for air traffic operations.

A screenshot of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ‎ website — A screenshot of the Federal Aviation Administration's website

During the first Trump administration, the FAA also aimed to increase the hiring of individuals with targeted disabilities.

The FAA’s Aviation Safety Workforce Plan for the 2020-2029 period, issued under Trump, stated that the FAA’s Office of Aviation Safety (AVS) completed over 50 activities in the 2020 fiscal year, promoting hiring and internship opportunities for persons with disabilities. The report highlighted AVS's support for the Agency’s PWTD (Persons with Targeted Disabilities) hiring initiative as an example of increasing diversity.

Between FY 2013 and FY 2019, AVS hired 64 individuals with targeted disabilities, representing an average of a 2.76 percent PWTD new hire rate for AVS. In FY 2020, AVS continued to promote and support the hiring of people with disabilities and targeted disabilities.