Air Line Pilots Association mourns loss of 67 lives in January 29 mid-air collision

The Air Line Pilots Association announced that the January 29 mid-air collision near Washington National Airport resulted in the tragic loss of 67 lives, including Captain Jonathan J. Campos and First Officer Samuel Walter Lilley. The announcement was made on X on March 21.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), on January 29, 2025, a Bombardier CRJ700 airliner operating as American Airlines Flight 5342 and a United States Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. The collision occurred approximately half a mile short of runway 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in the deaths of all 67 individuals aboard both aircraft.

The NTSB's preliminary report highlighted critical safety issues, including inadequate separation between helicopter and airplane operations, and air traffic control communication limitations. Between October 2021 and December 2024, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data revealed 15,214 instances where airplanes and helicopters were separated by less than one nautical mile laterally and less than 400 feet vertically near Washington National Airport.