Diogenes
Nemo me impune lacessit
This morning was tough.
I met with Tim and Sheri Lilley, parents of Sam Lilley, the American Airlines First Officer who lost his life in the mid-air collision at @Reagan_Airport. They are heartbroken, and our nation mourns with them and all the victims of this senseless tragedy.
I promised Tim and Sheri that I would honor their son’s life and all the lives lost that day through my actions as the Secretary of Transportation. First, I promised full transparency from my department. I was as surprised as many Americans were to learn that military training missions were conducted in the same vicinity as commercial airlines.
The day after the accident, I immediately restricted the air space to make sure this never happens again. At the @USDOT, I am transforming this senseless tragedy into a plan of action that will make air travel safer for all Americans. After decades of neglect and pushing the can down the road, I am committed to making the investment necessary to bring our national air traffic control system into the high-tech modern age. I am also going to tackle our air traffic controller shortage by focusing on recruitment and retention for this incredible profession.
In doing so, I will not compromise standards. I will implement a merit-based system where only the very best and the brightest are entrusted with precious lives.
We await the results of the investigation so we can know exactly why and how a military helicopter flew into a commercial airline. This can never happen again!
View: https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1897763202814841179