The father of Black Hawk crew chief Ryan O'Hara who was on board the helipcopter that collided with an American Airlines plane in Washington D.C - has responded to President Donald Trump's controversial DEI comments.

Washington

A regional jet carrying 64 people collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC.

D.C. Crash

Family and friends of those involved in the tragic collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight have begun to speak out. Ryan O'Hara was the crew chief aboard the Black Hawk helicopter, and he leaves behind his wife and young son. Ryan's father, Gary O'Hara, responded to comments made by President Donald Trump, who suggested that DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies from the previous administration may have contributed to the crash. Gary expressed disbelief at the idea that a pilot's qualifications could be undermined based on gender.

The name of one of the pilots on the American Airlines flight has also been revealed as Samuel Lilly. In an interview with CBS News, Samuel's father, Timothy Lilly, shared his thoughts, reflecting on the crash's aftermath. As an experienced pilot, Timothy emphasized how pilots never give up control and described his likely final moments of his son concentrating on bringing the airplane to safety, whether on the ground or water.

Families are left grappling with the loss and the difficult questions that remain about the incident. As these families mourn, they reflect on the dedication and professionalism of their loved ones involved in aviation.



Family of Washington D.C plane crash victim speaks out

Welcome back. We are learning more about the victims in the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines plane. Crew chief Ryan O'Hara leaves behind a wife and a one-year-old son. And earlier today, CBS News' Mark Strassman got an exclusive interview with O'Hara's father, Gary. He was asked about President Donald Trump's comments just yesterday, blaming the previous administration's DEI policies for the crash. Here's his reaction. I know they've identified one of the pilots, but if the other pilot was a woman, to me, I can't imagine being the parents of that other pilot if she was a girl, saying that, what, because she's a woman, she was less capable than the man. I can't imagine the horror that those parents must be going through. I mean, I'm hoping that's not the case. I don't know who the other pilot was. But Ryan, I know Ryan respected the people that he flew with and trusted them with his life. And, you know, you don't get to do something in the Army unless you're qualified. You know, you have to earn your spot to be moved into the ladder, to be put into that helicopter. They don't just give it to you, you earn it. We also now know the name of one of the pilots aboard that American Airlines flight, Samuel Lilly. In another interview with CBS News, Samuel's father, Timothy, tells us he's also a pilot and he can't help but think about his son trying to fly the airplane in the moments after the crash. As a pilot, you never stop flying. You don't give up on the airplane. And what goes through my mind is I didn't just see him. I'm not sure if he was pilot flying or he was the pilot not flying on that leg, we trade off. But if he was a pilot flying, he didn't give up all the way to the ground or all the way to the water, really. He would have been moving those controls and trying to figure out what's going on.

U.S. President Donald Trump fired the U.S. commissioner of labour statistics after weak jobs numbers signaled tariffs weren’t yet leading to his promised economic boom.

Trump slams weak jobs numbers as 'rigged,' fires statistics chief

Donald Trump has ordered the repositioning of two United States nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions” relative to Russia, blaming a heated exchange with Dmitry Medvedev, Moscow’s military leader and former president.

Moscow

Trump sends nuclear submarines towards Russia

A mass shooting in Anaconda triggers community shock and concern, as witnesses share their experiences and the investigation unfolds amid rising tensions.

Anaconda

Community in shock following deadly shooting in Anaconda

U.S. President Donald Trump said he's ordered his administration to fire the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, on the same day new data was released showing weak job growth in July. The Labor Department also sharply revised job growth for May and June down.

Trump orders firing of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner

U.S. President Donald Trump says he ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the "appropriate regions" as a response to comments made by Russia's former president. CBS News' Charlie D'Agata reports.

Trump says nuclear submarines moved in response to Russia

Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has been transferred to a Bryan, Texas, prison, CBS News confirms. Maxwell was previously held in Tallahassee, Florida.

Bryan

Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to Texas prison

The announcement comes as international pressure mounts on Israel over the war in Gaza and the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.

Ljubljana

Middle East Conflict

Slovenia becomes first EU country to ban arms trade with Israel

The United States imposed sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials just as other nations are stressing the importance of the PA in governing Gaza in the event of an end to the devastating war in the enclave.

New York

U.S. sanctions Palestinian Authority in growing diplomatic rift

Ukraine’s Parliament has reversed a controversial law signed last week by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which would have allowed the government greater control over anti-corruption agencies. The decision comes as the country faces one of its most significant political crises since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine parliament reverses bill on anti-corruption agencies amid crisis

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order increasing tariffs on Canadian goods that don't meet the terms of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement to 35 per cent.

Ottawa

Global Tariffs

Trump raises Canada tariff to 35%, grants extension to Mexico

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 31 in a bid to salvage Gaza truce talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine is unfolding.

Jerusalem

Trump's envoy meets Netanyahu for Gaza aid, ceasefire push

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is visiting Israel as more countries join the call to recognize a Palestinian state in September. CBS News' Robert Berger has the latest.

Trump envoy in Israel as Canada joins call on Palestinian statehood

President Donald Trump says the U.S. will charge a 15% tariff on imports from South Korea as part of a deal that eases, for now, tension with a top-10 trading partner and key Asian ally.

Trump says U.S. will set 15% tariff on South Korean imports

U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on most Brazilian goods to fight what he has called a "witch hunt" against former President Jair Bolsonaro, but softened the blow by excluding sectors such as aircraft, energy and orange juice from heavier levies.

Rio de Janeiro

Trump hits Brazil with tariffs, sanctions but key sectors excluded

Widespread damage from tsunami waves after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded appears to have been largely avoided. Experts say this event should be used to gauge disaster preparedness for a more serious situation in the future.

Okinawa

Tsunami damage less severe than feared after Russian earthquake

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will recognize a Palestinian state later this year if the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, meets certain conditions.

Canada to recognize Palestinian state in September if conditions met

Australia said on Wednesday (July 30) it will add YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video-sharing site and potentially setting up a legal challenge.

Canberra

Australia expands teen social media ban to YouTube

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (July 30) the United States will impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from India, as well as an unspecified penalty for buying Russian weapons and oil, on Aug. 1.

Trump says U.S. to hit India with 25% tariff starting August 1

Mourners flooded the streets of Birmingham to celebrate the life of rock-and-roll legend Ozzy Osbourne during his funeral procession in the United Kingdom. Mark Savage, a music reporter at the BBC, a CBS News partner, joins with more details.

Birmingham

Ozzy Osbourne fans flood Birmingham streets to mourn late music icon

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters before departing from Scotland that Jeffrey Epstein poached workers from his Mar-a-Lago spa. Trump mentioned Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's most vocal accusers, in his latest remarks.

Trump says Epstein 'stole' young women from Mar-a-Lago spa

Owdeh Hathaleen, a 31-year‑old Palestinian activist, teacher, and filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was shot dead by an Israeli settler near the village of Umm al‑Khair in the South Hebron Hills.

Palestinian activist killed by Israeli settler in West Bank

A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves of up to 16 feet nearby, and sparked evacuation orders in Japan, Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday (July 30).

Hawaii

Tsunami reaches Hawaii after huge quake shakes Russia's Far East

The U.N. General Assembly brought high-level officials together to promote a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict. Israel and the United States are boycotting the two-day meeting, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia

Israel and U.S. boycott UN Summit for two-state solution

With numerous countries facing an Aug. 1 trade agreement deadline, officials in the Trump administration say China could get an extension while negotiations continue.

See The Full Story

D.C. Crash