Al Drago/ZUMA
In the wake of Sunday’s fatal Boeing 737 Max 8 plane crash, President Donald Trump on Tuesday complained that modern aviation has become “far too complex” and called for “great flying professionals” to take precedence over new technology.
“I don’t want Albert Einstein to be my pilot,” Trump tweeted.
Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT. I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better. Split second decisions are….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2019
….needed, and the complexity creates danger. All of this for great cost yet very little gain. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2019
The president’s insight into the aviation industry comes as countries around the world—including Britain, China, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Oman—have moved to ground the popular Boeing line after an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after taking off on Sunday. It was the second deadly crash for the 737 model in less than five months.
Senators Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have all called on the US to join others in grounding the Boeing model.
Though Trump did not mention Boeing by name in his tweet, the president’s statement appeared to contradict the Federal Aviation Administration, which on Monday deemed the Boeing model safe to fly. “If the FAA identifies an issue that affects safety, the department will take immediate and appropriate action,” Trump’s Transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, told reporters Monday. “I want people to be assured that we take these incidents, these accidents very seriously.”
