DIE is dead. It is being expunged from government and companies clinging to it will get leaned on, then prosecuted. Some are already being sued for discrimination. Funding from the USAID slush fund has been terminated. Professional proponents are about to join the ranks of the unemployed, so they need to learn to write code. Good riddance.
In closing, the mid-air collision between AA Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, has prompted extensive investigations to determine its causes. While the NTSB has not yet released a final report, several contributing factors have been identified:
Altitude Deviation: Preliminary data indicates that the Black Hawk helicopter was flying at approximately 325 feet, exceeding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) mandated maximum of 200 feet for that route. This deviation placed the helicopter in the flight path of the approaching CRJ700 aircraft.
Air Traffic Control Staffing: Reports suggest that only one air traffic controller was managing both the jet and the helicopter at the time of the collision, an arrangement described as “not normal” for that time of day at Reagan National Airport. This staffing decision may have contributed to miscommunication or oversight.
Communication and Situational Awareness: The helicopter crew was reportedly alerted twice about the approaching airliner, with the first warning issued two minutes before the collision. Despite these warnings, the collision occurred, suggesting potential issues with situational awareness or response.
In the aftermath of the accident, President Donald Trump attributed the crash to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, suggesting that such initiatives may have compromised the qualifications of air traffic control personnel. However, this claim has been met with skepticism, as no concrete evidence has been presented to support the assertion that DEI policies played a role in the incident.
I do think DEI (and other programs like it) reduce standards, however these reductions are done insidiously. In addition, I don’t think the possibility that DEI reduces standards can be considered at this point in time and it certainly can’t be measured. The effects of DEI are not able to be studied because any attempt is blocked. It is simply not open for discussion that DEI can have consequences. This itself, ironically, is a very big and blatant bias.
The industry has never hired on meritocracy. This is a myth. DEI in a sense is nothing “recent”, instead of greatly favoring military pilots there are other biomarkers that have become more “in vogue”.
Even if DEI didn’t reduce applicant or training standards, the amount of time employees spend on DEI and similar topics is mind boggling. Even pilots spend hours per year learning about DEI and other HR “buzz topics”, while spending 0 hours per year learning about helicopter routes at ATC procedures. So yes, DEI reduces safety standards.
Passengers and other employees have always paid the price for these biases. Meritocracy is best, but in my view it has never been practiced. If someone can meet the “minimum” it’s then whoever can play their cards right. In my experience the “minimim” is very fluid. Pilots that crash aircraft usually have a long multi-year history of training issues and favortism in their records.
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Glad to see your name on a blog again Paul. Everything always swings back and forth and most time, over shoots. The same is true for DEI policies. President Trump is a maximalist. He always states the maximum position as he knows the result will be a more moderate position somewhere in the middle. He explains this approach in “The Art of the Deal”. President Trump’s comment is not “unfounded”. There is a lawsuit pending against the FAA for swinging FAA test questions and scores towards one group than another.
You tell-um Raf… I’m glad you cleared that DEI stuff all up. Why didn’t I think of that… 
Great replies Dave. Said it nicely and factually. Roger, former 38 years ATC in different forms.
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I’m no fan of Trump but I’m even LESS a fan of DEI. Go over to YouTube check out a video by a BLACK economist named Thomas Sowell entitled “The Myth of Equality”.
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You know what else…….if the airplane hadn’t accepted the last minute runway change it wouldn’t have happened either. As a former Army Helicopter pilot and current airline captain I can tell you that we brief every element of an approach in detail and do so ideally before the top of descent. In a last minute runway change like that there’s no way you can adequately brief. Unless it’s an emergency it’s best to STICK WITH THE PLAN.
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Federal hiring freezes in the past have more to do with controller staffing shortages than probably all other reasons combined. Don’t look at DEI. Look straight to congress, and their posturing if you want to blame anyone. So in reality blame falls on voters who keep reelecting incompetent people to congress.
CA is indeed audible and visual. Problem being CA is the little boy who cried wolf. CA activates so often it gets tuned out or placed into a low priority issue.
Does that explain unfilled controller classes do to candidates being turned away? Candidates who didn’t meet the identity criteria because “equity and diversity.”
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