NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, January 30, 2025

Episode Date: January 31, 2025

67 presumed dead in collision of regional jet and Black Hawk helicopter; Crash victims included some of the most promising young figure skaters; Army says helicopter crew in D.C. crash was 'very experienced'; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the growing questions over the deadly mid-air disaster. 67 people killed when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet. I just have spent the last, you know, 24 hours thinking about my wife in that plane. The plane breaking into two, both aircraft plunging into the icy Potomac River. Rescue crews searching overnight for passengers and wreckage. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital. President Trump calling it America's hour of anguish, but also suggesting Democrats' diversity initiatives were a factor. The new backlash tonight, what we're learning about the victims, Tom Yamas on the losses for the American and Russian ice skating communities,

Olympic star Nancy Kerrigan's powerful message, and what we know about the military personnel on board that chopper. The investigation underway into how this could happen. NBC's Tom Costello with new reporting tonight on the staffing levels inside the air traffic control tower. And the heated hearings for two of President Trump's most controversial nominees. Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard. Will they get enough Republican votes to be confirmed? This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, reporting tonight from Washington, D.C.

Good evening from Reagan National Airport, where flights resumed today following last night's deadly midair collision between an American Eagle passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. Today, families of some of the 67 people now presumed dead began arriving here as search teams recovered the victims from the icy waters of the Potomac, some of the country's most promising young figure skaters among the victims. Tonight, the D.C.-based NTSB has dozens of investigators at the scene. NBC News has learned that air traffic control staffing was not normal when the crash happened, but still considered acceptable. And President Trump first offering condolences, but then turning political, suggesting that diversity programs played a role in the crash, drawing strong criticism tonight. We're covering it all starting last night with the unthinkable.

Terrifying moments in the skies over Washington, D.C. Crash, crash, crash. This is alert three. An American Airlines regional jet colliding with an Army Blackhawk helicopter, both plummeting into the frigid Potomac River. Did you see that? It was about 8.40 p.m. The American Eagle flight from Wichita, Kansas was just seconds from landing at Reagan National Airport with 60 passengers and four Charlotte-based crew members on board. Three people were on the Black Hawk chopper including at least one experienced pilot

according to U.S. military officials. One of the keys to the investigation will be understanding the level of situational awareness in both cockpits and the tower. Were they seeing and talking about the same things? Was there a shared understanding? And did they understand the picture rapidly forming around them? NBC News has learned staffing was not normal in the air traffic control tower at the time of the crash, but still acceptable by FAA standards. At one point, a controller can be heard trying to keep distance between the helicopter and the plane. The collision caught on EarthCam video. Hamad Raza was at the airport to pick up his wife from a business trip when her plane went down. I always pick her up from departures

and I always help her load the bag into the car and give her a big hug and a kiss and and then off we go. I had dinner waiting at home. What do you want us to know about your wife? My wife was such a giver. She gave and she gave and she gave almost to the point of where she didn't think about herself enough. They were college sweethearts. Now he is waiting to claim her body. We are just counting down the hours until my phone here rings and we can go pick her up. About 300 first responders worked through the night, pulling bodies from 35-degree dark and icy waters. Despite the massive rescue effort, by morning, it had turned into a recovery operation. We don't believe there are any survivors. On the flight from Kansas, several members of the

U.S. figure skating community, including athletes and coaches, along with two Russian world champion skaters. Ross Lansel's ex-wife was a skating coach on board. He spoke with our Washington station WRC. It's tough, you know, like they're gone. That's what kills me. It's these kids, because I work with kids all day long. It's just one of those things where you don't want to see anyone go through this. Teresa Terry's daughter skated with two of the victims. She was just absolutely devastated. Just, there's just no words to describe. It's just unimaginable.

The Army has not identified the three people in the Black Hawk, which was conducting routine night training in the high-traffic airspace. The helicopter obviously was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Today, the president offered his condolences. We grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us. While baselessly suggesting diversity or DEI initiatives contributed to the crash. We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system. When asked how we could blame DEI, this was Trump's response. Because I have common sense, okay? The NTSB is leading the investigation and is the only agency

authorized to release information about a cause. We already have nearly 50 people on scene. Jennifer Homendy is the chair of the NTSB. Is this one of the worst fears of the NTSB? Yes, it is. And it's actually something that I warned about before Congress when I last testified on aviation safety, that this is exactly our worst fear. And here we are investigating a tragedy that we haven't seen in years. We asked her about not normal staffing in the control tower when this happened. What's the NTSB response to that? That's not new to us. We have seen low staffing in other towers. This is the first deadly commercial plane disaster in the U.S. since 2009,

when 49 people died during a crash landing in Buffalo, New York. Now, families of the 67 are facing a new reality as they learn their loved ones were on these doomed flights. So many of those who died in this tragedy had so much of their lives ahead of them. A young pilot, soldiers, some of the rising stars of the figure skating world. Tom Yummas has their stories. In that stunning moment of horror, Flight 5342 was only minutes away from landing when the lives of its 60 passengers and four crew members suddenly ended. The violent collision with the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter also killing three U.S. service

members, an Army captain, staff sergeant, and chief warrant officer. 67 lives lost in an instant. And last night, as friends and family of the victims prayed for a miracle, there was little hope because after that collision in the sky, both aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River, the icy waters that were only waist deep and about 35 degrees. Tonight, we spoke with D.C.'s fire chief moments before he went to meet with those victims' families. When you go into a meeting like that, I mean, what goes through your head and what do you want to tell them? They're going to ask us questions, and we're going to do our best to answer those questions with the facts. The first officer of the American Airlines flight was Sam Lilly, his father posting he was so proud when Sam became a pilot.

Also on the flight, some of the country's most promising young figure skaters who were in Wichita at a highly selective training camp. There are brothers and sisters and we're all very close to each other. The skating club of Boston, devastated. Six affiliated with the club perished. Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan trained with the club as a teen. Much like everyone here has been saying is not sure how to process it. Shoot, I'm sorry. For 1956 Olympic champion Tenley Albright, the tragedy brought back memories of the 1961 plane crash that killed 18 U.S. figure skaters.

I really can't believe that it happened because I picture them right here. Among those lost now, 13-year-old skater Gina Han and her mother Jin. Gina was known for her grace and musicality on the ice. And 16-year-old Spencer Lane, who was traveling with his mom, Christine. Spencer was known for his jumps, chronicling his progress on TikTok. His final post on Instagram? This view from his plane window before takeoff. Skating is a very close and tight-knit community.

It's a close, tight bond, and I think for all of us, we have lost family. Also on board, skating coaches and former world champions Zhenya Shishkova and Vadim Nomov. The married couple leaves behind their son, Max, a skater hoping to qualify for the Winter Olympics next year. Brielle Beyer was only 12 years old. Her mom, Justina Magdalena, with her on the plane. Remember today at her home rink in Virginia.

She's really, really talented, and they were my inspiration. And Tom, joining me now, you spoke to that D.C. fire chief today. I'm curious, did he talk about the moment that they got to the scene? Yeah, he told me right when they came out here, Lester, they had hoped that they would find survivors. But after several hours, they were searching. They found no survivors. They said the water was too dark. It was too cold.

Nobody could have survived that. And now the recovery operation is taking a little bit longer because some victims may be trapped. Or, Lester, they may not have located them just yet. Yeah, Tom, thanks very much for that. And tonight, the NTSB has 50 people on the ground here at Reagan National Airport, beginning what will likely become a very long investigation. Tom Costello reports now on what might have gone wrong. Tonight, a source tells NBC News a preliminary FAA report on the mid-air crash indicates staffing at the Reagan Airport Tower was not normal for the amount of traffic at that hour. Normally, one controller handles planes while another controls helicopters. But Wednesday night,

one controller was doing both at the time of the crash, though that is acceptable under established FAA standards. Investigators' best clues into what went wrong may rely on those last few words as controllers asked the chopper crew if they could see the CRJ, the regional jet. F-25, is the CRJ in sight? F-25, F-25, is the CRJ? The chopper has a aircraft in sight. The response is garbled. Does the chopper pilot say aircraft in sight? The chopper has aircraft in sight.

If so, why did they collide? Miracle on the Hudson captain Sully Sullenberger says that radio response is critical. It changed the rules and it required that they see each other until they were safely clear. Like many airports, Reagan has had its share of close calls in recent years. March 7, 2023, controllers ordered a United flight to abort takeoff after another plane crossed in front of it. April 18, 2024, a Southwest plane crossed a runway just as a JetBlue flight was preparing to take off. May 30, 2024, a controller canceled takeoff after another airliner was cleared to land on an intersecting runway. Veteran pilots say flying up the river to runway 33 involves staying between 400 and 500 feet, while helicopters should be flying beneath them under 200 feet.

It requires a lot of skill. The runway is very small for an airport that handles this amount of traffic. The new transportation secretary says last night's flight activity was routine. This was not unusual with a military aircraft flying the river and aircraft landing at DCA. We have some breaking news. A source familiar with the investigation tells us investigators have now recovered the black boxes from the regional jet and they will already be under review at the NTSB headquarters

just about a mile away. What else are we learning in the investigation so far, understanding it's young? Sources are telling us they are going to be looking at whether that chopper pilot was flying above the designated altitude. And if so, that could have put him in direct conflict with the American Eagle flight. All right, Tom Costello. Thank you, Tom. And we've learned more about that Black Hawk helicopter and its crew. Pentagon correspondent Courtney Kuby joins us. Courtney, what are you finding out from your sources? Well, Lester, the Blackhawk crew included three U.S. soldiers from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Army officials calling them a very experienced crew, including an instructor pilot with over 1,000 flight hours. This was a routine annual evaluation of the pilot's ability to fly at night, the crew well aware of the route and the rules in this airspace. Now, while the military has not yet identified the crew, officials say one of the members was a woman. Army officials confirming they did have night vision goggles, though it's still not clear if they were wearing them. Tonight, only one of those soldiers has been recovered. Lester. Courtney Kuby, thank you. In 60 seconds, more on how President Trump linked diversity programs to the deadly midair crash and the fierce backlash that quickly followed.

Back now with the new backlash after President Trump asserted today without providing evidence that Democrats' diversity programs may have played a role in the midair crash. Garrett Haight now with that story. Tonight, in a White House news conference that began with a somber moment of silence, President Trump pivoting from prayer... I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for a nation. ...to politics. I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first.

Suggesting without evidence that Democratic DEI policies at the FAA and military, which President Trump ended last week with an executive order, may have contributed to the midair collision. We have to have our smartest people. It doesn't matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. It matters intellect, talent. At one point, going after Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Just got a good line of bullshit. He's running right into the ground with his diversity. But reporters pressing the president. What evidence did he have that diversity hiring caused the crash? It just could have been. And later, as he signed an order to review FAA hiring decisions the last four years.

Are you saying race or gender played a role in this tragedy? It may have. I don't know. Incompetence might have played a role. We'll let you know that. The president echoed by the vice president and defense secretary. We want the best people at air traffic control. The era of DEI is gone at the defense secretary. We want the best people at air traffic control. The era of DEI is gone at the Defense Department. But the comments sparking fierce backlash. Buttigieg posting, despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first. The top Senate

Democrat responding. For the president of the United States to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered and families still being notified. It just turns your stomach. The president also naming a new acting FAA administrator today. That position had been vacant since Inauguration Day. Lester. All right, Garrett Haig, thank you. And coming up, the high stakes confirmation hearings for the president's key national security nominees. We're back now with a heated confirmation hearings for President Trump's picks for director of national intelligence and the FBI. Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel. Ryan Nobles now with that story. Tonight, a pair of President Trump's top national security nominees facing high stakes confirmation hearings.

There will be no politicization at the FBI. Former federal prosecutor Kash Patel nominated for FBI director. The staunch Trump supporter pressed by Democrats about his independence. Would you be willing to resign the post of FBI director if pressed and given no choice but to obey the order or resign? Senator, I will always obey the law. And President Trump's pardons of violent offenders from January 6th. I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.

Patel strongly defended by Republicans. The reason you're here is because most of the public, almost every Republican, believes that the FBI has been used continuously in a political fashion, lying to get Donald Trump. Across the Capitol, former Democratic congresswoman and combat veteran Tulsi Gabbard, nominated for director of national intelligence. What truly unsettles my political opponents is I refuse to be their puppet. Gabbard pushing back on claims she parroted Kremlin talking points.

I want to make certain that in no way does Russia get a pass in either your mind or your heart. I'm offended by the question because my sole focus, commitment and responsibility is about our own nation. And pressed over her previous call for a pardon for Edward Snowden, who fled the U.S. after releasing a trove of government secrets. Is Edward Snowden a traitor to the United States of America? I understand how critical our national security is. Apparently you don't. Republicans seem confident that Kash Patel will win confirmation. They're more skeptical of Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though not one Republican has said they'll vote no.

Lester. Ryan Nobles, thank you. It was a chaotic scene in Gaza today as three Israeli hostages were released by Hamas. Five Thai nationals were also freed. Prime Minister Netanyahu temporarily delayed the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners because of what he called shocking scenes. President Trump's envoy saying he expects Hamas to release an American on Saturday. We'll take a break and then up next, I'll have a final thought about heroism and echoes of the past.

It was a shocking sight that lit up the night sky. And for many, last night's horror brought back echoes of the last air tragedy here, one snowy January day more than 40 years ago. In 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 took off en route to Fort Lauderdale, but never made it much above 350 feet and smashed into the 14th Street Bridge, falling into the Potomac below. While more than 70 people died, the moment brought out the best in rescuers. The nation was gripped as crews hoisted five people to safety from the river choked with ice. Federal worker Lenny Skutnik had been watching and plunged into the Potomac to rescue passenger Priscilla Tirado, blinded by jet fumes and unable to hang on.

She was going to drown if I didn't go get her, because nobody else was going to. I just felt I did what was my instinct, I guess. It was just in my heart. We saw again the spirit of American heroism at its finest. He was the first ever hero to sit in the gallery for the State of the Union and ever since invited guests are known as Lenny Skutniks. Now as then, heroes answered the call.

Though this time, first responders met a grim reality. Their bravery and courage in those icy waters on the Potomac remains the call. Though this time, first responders met a grim reality. Their bravery and courage in those icy waters on the Potomac remains the same. That's nightly news. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.