FAA’s Diversity Policies Under Fire After Deadly Air Collision

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An aspiring air traffic controller who says he was denied a job due to diversity-driven hiring practices has spoken out following the tragic collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington. Andrew Brigida, 35, who excelled in his training exams but was rejected for an air traffic control position, claims the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prioritized diversity over competence, making a disaster inevitable.  

 

Brigida, who has joined a class-action lawsuit against the FAA, believes years of hiring practices aimed at increasing diversity rather than merit have contributed to safety risks in the aviation industry. “You want to hire the best and the brightest for this kind of job because it is a very stressful job and it can take a toll on you, age you prematurely,” he told The Telegraph. “You want to make sure that the people that are doing it are the best.”  

 

As investigations continue into the disaster, which claimed the lives of 67 people, new details have emerged about the night of the crash. Reports indicate that an air traffic controller left their post early, leaving just one person responsible for overseeing both helicopter and plane traffic—normally a task handled by two individuals. The FAA acknowledged that staffing levels at the time were “not normal for the time of day and the volume of traffic.”  

 

Authorities have recovered the black boxes from both the passenger jet and the helicopter and are analyzing flight data and audio recordings. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.  

 

Meanwhile, more victims have been identified, including the American Airlines flight crew. Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28, were confirmed among the deceased, along with flight attendants Ian Epstein, 52, and Danasia Elder. Onboard the Black Hawk, Crew Chief Ryan O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves were named, though the female pilot’s identity has not yet been released.  

 

Brigida graduated from Arizona State University’s collegiate training initiative in 2013, a program designed to train and recruit top candidates for the FAA. After scoring 100 percent on his selection exam, he was placed on a preferred candidate list. However, the FAA later changed its hiring process, implementing a biographical questionnaire instead of a skills-based test to attract a more diverse applicant pool. When Brigida reapplied, he claims he failed the questionnaire because he “didn’t fit the preferred ethnic profile.”  

 

Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, blaming the FAA’s hiring policies for the fatal collision. He alleged that individuals with “severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities” had been recruited as air traffic controllers, suggesting that political decisions had compromised aviation safety.  

 

Brigida believes past administrations contributed to the air traffic control staffing crisis by failing to act despite numerous warning signs. “There have been plenty of stories of near miss events that have been the cause of staffing issues, it’s surprising that it’s gone on this long without being properly recognised by the government,” he said.  

 

The lawsuit against the FAA, filed by attorneys from Mountain States Legal Foundation, represents over 2,500 aspiring air traffic controllers who argue that they were unfairly rejected due to the agency’s race-based hiring policies. As the investigation into the crash continues, critics argue that the FAA must reconsider its approach to hiring in order to prevent further tragedies.

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2025-02-01