Washington (dpa)
US President Donald Trump has suggested that the fatal mid-air collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter in Washington could have been caused by failures on part of the helicopter's pilot.
"You had a pilot problem, from the standpoint of the helicopter," Trump said during a press conference at the White House on Thursday, claiming that the helicopter could have changed its course to avoid colliding with the American Airlines passenger plane, without providing evidence.
The US president also criticized air traffic control at Reagan Washington National Airport for sending out a warning too late.
Trump also blamed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the crash.
He claimed the DEI programmes at the FAA included "focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities," again without citing any evidence.