US transportation chief: Pilot error behind recent plane crashes

Pilot error played a role in most recent major crashes and near misses, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is calling for harsher penalties for pilots who ignore air traffic controllers.

In an interview with NBC News, Duffy said pilots who disregard instructions should lose their licenses. “A consequence-free space where you make errors, serious errors, and you don’t pay any kind of price for it, something’s wrong with that,” he said.

To address concerns, Duffy announced plans to speed up air traffic controller hiring from Febreuary 27 to March 17 and increase starting salaries by 30%.

His remarks follow a series of crashes, including last month’s midair collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet near Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people.

Just weeks later, on February 18, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees, including those supporting air traffic controllers and safety technology, according to the workers' union.

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