DC midair collision victim families push aviation safety reforms one year on

Families of the 67 people killed in a midair collision over the Potomac River say regulators have taken steps to improve aviation safety since the crash one year ago, though they argue additional changes are still needed.

On Jan. 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 was circling to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, sending both aircraft into the icy Potomac River. All 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the jet were killed, along with three soldiers in the helicopter, marking the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in nearly 25 years.