On Jan. 29, 2025, 67 people were killed in a collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military helicopter at Reagan National Airport (DCA). In the six months since, several victim families have joined together to demand safer skies.With the help of aviation experts, the families developed a list of seven reform goals, including increased funding for air traffic control systems and a full review of Reagan National Airport’s complex airspace.The group, which currently includes about 115 members, was formed in the days after the crash during family briefings held by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).Amy Hunter, cousin of the late Peter Livingston, is among those advocates. Livingston, his wife Donna and his two girls Everly and Alydia were on the plane returning from the U.S. Figure Skating National Development camp in Wichita, Kansas.“One of the things that myself and several other cousins took away from these family briefings was that a lot of change needed to happen to ensure safer skies for all of us and that no other families will have to ever go through something like this again,” Hunter said.The families have visited Washington, D.C., three times to advocate for safer skies, and in early July, they sent a letter to Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll asking that the inspector general open an independent audit into the crash. The letter comes as families say the Army initially declined to perform an audit despite a bipartisan request from Senate leaders.Driscoll responded to the letter with condolences and a promise to meet with the families, Hunter and the Families of Flight 5342 Facebook page confirmed.Near misses continue in U.S. skiesAs the families call on officials to prevent future tragedies, airplane near misses continue to regularly occur across the country.On Friday, a Southwest Airlines jet plunged rapidly to avoid a Hawker Hunter aircraft, owned by a British defense contracting company records show, shortly after taking off from Hollywood Burbank Airport. And just the previous week, while landing in North Dakota, a Delta Air Lines regional jet had to make a sharp turn to avoid a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber, audio from the incident indicates. At Reagan National Airport on May 1, an Army Black Hawk helicopter caused two commercial airplanes to stop their approaches and initiate go-arounds.In the three months after the crash at Reagan National Airport, there were at least 26 near misses across the country, according to aviation data reviewed by the Hearst Television Data Team. Some of those near misses closely mirror what occurred on Jan. 29, except they didn’t result in deaths.The near misses are self-reported by pilots to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), and reporting is not mandatory. The data only goes through April 2025 and is updated by ASRS as more reports become available. To compile the list of near misses, the Hearst Television Data Team included only incidents at takeoff or landing with another piloted aircraft. To protect the reporters' identities, ASRS redacted the locations of some of the incidents and the pilots’ names. Of the 26 near-miss events reported to ASRS that occurred in the three months after the Jan. 29, 2025, collision, just over 40% involved a helicopter.Washington Dulles International, Philadelphia International, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airports all had helicopter-involved near-miss incidents. The others occurred at airports redacted in the data by ASRS to protect reporter anonymity. Just a few days after the deadly crash, a military Black Hawk helicopter nearly collided with a commercial jet as it was on approach to land at an unspecified airport, ASRS records indicate. The pilot who reported the incident, whose name was not provided, said the helicopter passed 100 feet below the airplane and that air traffic control gave no alert of traffic in the area.In February, a different commercial airline pilot reported a near miss with a Cessna aircraft, a small single-engine plane. The pilot reported that while descending, the air traffic controller alerted them to the Cessna nearby but did not give additional information. In the report, the pilot said they were never able to visually see the Cessna and criticized approach control for allowing the Cessna to fly so close to the busy airport.“This event has many disturbing similarities to the recent mid-air collision in DCA,” the unnamed pilot said in the report.Another pilot reported coming within 300 feet of a law enforcement helicopter that was in pursuit along a freeway. The pilot reported that they were never able to visibly see the helicopter and that, following the crash at Reagan National Airport, more care should be taken by law enforcement around busy airports.In its preliminary report on the January collision, the NTSB said there have been 85 close calls between commercial airplanes and helicopters from Oct. 2021 to Dec. 2025. In those 85 incidents, there was less than 200 feet of vertical space between the aircraft and less than 1,500 feet of lateral separation. For now, the families of Flight 5342 are focused on keeping momentum toward achieving their seven reform goals.Their advocacy is exactly what Peter Livingston would have done if one of his family members were killed instead of him, Peter's brother Albert Livingston said.“My brother Peter, throughout his life, if he saw something that wasn’t right, he would do what was necessary to bring it to light and get it corrected,” Albert said. “When I see my cousins doing this for all the families, it’s a nice tribute for my brother.”PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
ARLINGTON, Va. — On Jan. 29, 2025, 67 people were killed in a collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military helicopter at Reagan National Airport (DCA). In the six months since, several victim families have joined together to demand safer skies.
With the help of aviation experts, the families developed a list of , including increased funding for air traffic control systems and a full review of Reagan National Airport’s complex airspace.
The group, which currently includes about 115 members, was formed in the days after the crash during family briefings held by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Amy Hunter, cousin of the late Peter Livingston, is among those advocates. Livingston, his wife Donna and his two girls Everly and Alydia were on the plane returning from the U.S. Figure Skating National Development camp in Wichita, Kansas.
“One of the things that myself and several other cousins took away from these family briefings was that a lot of change needed to happen to ensure safer skies for all of us and that no other families will have to ever go through something like this again,” Hunter said.
The families have visited Washington, D.C., three times to advocate for safer skies, and in early July, they sent a to Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll asking that the inspector general open an independent audit into the crash. The letter comes as families say the Army initially declined to perform an audit despite a from Senate leaders.
Driscoll responded to the letter with condolences and a promise to meet with the families, Hunter and the Families of Flight 5342 Facebook page confirmed.
Courtesy of Amy Hunter
Families of victims of the Jan. 29 plane crash at Reagan National Airport meet with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
Near misses continue in U.S. skies
As the families call on officials to prevent future tragedies, airplane near misses continue to regularly occur across the country.
On Friday, a Southwest Airlines jet plunged rapidly to avoid a Hawker Hunter aircraft, owned by a British defense contracting company records show, shortly after taking off from Hollywood Burbank Airport. And just the previous week, while landing in North Dakota, a Delta Air Lines regional jet had to make a to avoid a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber, audio from the incident indicates.
At Reagan National Airport on May 1, an Army Black Hawk helicopter caused two commercial airplanes to stop their approaches and initiate go-arounds.
In the three months after the crash at Reagan National Airport, there were at least 26 near misses across the country, according to aviation data reviewed by the Hearst Television Data Team. Some of those near misses closely mirror what occurred on Jan. 29, except they didn’t result in deaths.
The near misses are self-reported by pilots to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), and reporting is not mandatory. The data only goes through April 2025 and is updated by ASRS as more reports become available. To compile the list of near misses, the Hearst Television Data Team included only incidents at takeoff or landing with another piloted aircraft. To protect the reporters' identities, ASRS redacted the locations of some of the incidents and the pilots’ names.
Of the 26 near-miss events reported to ASRS that occurred in the three months after the Jan. 29, 2025, collision, just over 40% involved a helicopter.
Washington Dulles International, Philadelphia International, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airports all had helicopter-involved near-miss incidents. The others occurred at airports redacted in the data by ASRS to protect reporter anonymity.
Just a few days after the deadly crash, a military Black Hawk helicopter nearly collided with a commercial jet as it was on approach to land at an unspecified airport, ASRS records indicate. The pilot who reported the incident, whose name was not provided, said the helicopter passed 100 feet below the airplane and that air traffic control gave no alert of traffic in the area.
In February, a different commercial airline pilot reported a near miss with a Cessna aircraft, a small single-engine plane. The pilot reported that while descending, the air traffic controller alerted them to the Cessna nearby but did not give additional information. In the report, the pilot said they were never able to visually see the Cessna and criticized approach control for allowing the Cessna to fly so close to the busy airport.
“This event has many disturbing similarities to the recent mid-air collision in DCA,” the unnamed pilot said in the report.
Another pilot reported coming within 300 feet of a law enforcement helicopter that was in pursuit along a freeway. The pilot reported that they were never able to visibly see the helicopter and that, following the crash at Reagan National Airport, more care should be taken by law enforcement around busy airports.
In its on the January collision, the NTSB said there have been 85 close calls between commercial airplanes and helicopters from Oct. 2021 to Dec. 2025. In those 85 incidents, there was less than 200 feet of vertical space between the aircraft and less than 1,500 feet of lateral separation.
For now, the families of Flight 5342 are focused on keeping momentum toward achieving their seven reform goals.
Their advocacy is exactly what Peter Livingston would have done if one of his family members were killed instead of him, Peter's brother Albert Livingston said.
“My brother Peter, throughout his life, if he saw something that wasn’t right, he would do what was necessary to bring it to light and get it corrected,” Albert said. “When I see my cousins doing this for all the families, it’s a nice tribute for my brother.”
