Families of those who lost their lives in the January 29 crash crash in Washington, D.C., spoke about the need for emergency reforms by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“We can never get back to getting on the plane and trusting everything is fine,” said Rachel Feles, who was on a flight 5342 with his cousin Peter Livingston, along with his wife, Donna and daughters, Aridia and Eilee.
“But I hope that all other travelers can do it and that they can trust that they are OK and that all consideration has been taken for their safety,” she continued.
Feles spoke with Newsweek along with Amy Hunter, another cousin of Livingston, and his wife, Christine and son Spencer, Doug Lane, who was among the 67 people who died when a passenger plane collided with an Army helicopter.
Since the crash, which has been the most deadly thing on American Airlines for over 20 years, the three have addressed issues that have led to the loss of their loved ones, especially the government, seeking the country's aviation watchdog.
Getty Images/Aldrago
On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report detailing the results of the DC crash investigation after making a series of “urgent” recommendations on the FAA's military China airspace adjustments.
A board investigation found that near misses between helicopters and planes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) occurred at least monthly between 2011 and 2024.
The NTSB found that the helicopter route established by the FAA did not have a “defined lateral boundary.” As a result, between October 2021 and December 2024 there were 15,214 instances in DCA where planes and helicopters had lateral separation of less than one mile per voyage and vertical separation of less than 400 feet. During the same period, the NTSB identified 85 cases with lateral separations of less than 1,500 feet and vertical separations of less than 200 feet.
“Both are eye-opening statistics, and many of us are really questioning how these cascade systemic disorders can occur,” Lane said.
“They found over 15,000 instances of near misses of this nature, the exact same nature that has impacted families over three years,” he added. “So, if it happened several times a month for three years, it was really only a matter of time before a disaster like this happened.”
“How did the FAA know?” Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference following the NTSB report. “Why didn't they study the data: “Hey, this is a hotspot. We have a close mistake.
The NTSB urged the FAA to permanently ban helicopters from flying along the section of Route 4, a commonly used route on the Potomac River. Duffy said Tuesday that the FAA would accept both recommendations.
“The existing separation distance between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on runway 33 is insufficient, poses a risk that cannot withstand aviation safety by increasing the likelihood of airborne collisions at DCA.”
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
Commenting on whether the FAA will blame the loss of his wife and son, Lane said:
“One of the things I found really scary is discovering that for years the NTSB has been making safety recommendations to FAAs that have become increasingly uncertain,” Feres said. “When a disaster occurs and someone finds the cause to repair it, you trust it, and this completely shakes my belief that the process will happen.”
Newsweek contacted the FAA via email about comments.
Less than a month after the DC crash, the family reported that the southwest jet attempting to land at Chicago Midway International Airport had slightly avoided a collision with a private plane, realising that the separation issue was not limited to the DCA.
“Yeah, I thought this was already happening, so I thought I was just starting to learn about it,” Lane said. He described the crash on January 29th as “it's really just Pandora's box in terms of the number of near misses happening across the US not being acted on by the FAA.”
However, the family said they were relieved by the hard work and commitment of the NTSB throughout the process.
“NTSB has influenced our incredible faith in our family in the work they are doing,” Hunter said. “Their professionalism and compassion were the gifts of the worst moments of people's lives.”
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President Donald Trump faced criticism over personnel changes that took place at the FAA shortly after the crash. Former and current employees say Newsweek can contribute to the already chronic level of staffing shortages that plague agencies.
The family refrains from denounceing one administration for the crash.
“This is a problem that happened in many different administrations,” Hunter said. “This is not a political issue. It's a safety issue, it's a public safety issue.”
Evidence of bipartisan support for aviation safety came when Hunter visited Capitol Hill shortly after crash.
She said both Democrats and Republican lawmakers, including Senate Commerce Committee, Science and Transport Chairman Ted Cruz, are willing to speak to them about their concerns.
“We went and knocked on the door, and there was literally no answer,” she said. “It was a very difficult day, but it was very exciting to see that it was a nonpartisan issue that day.”
Ben Curtis/AP Photo
On March 27, Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Commercial Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation, will lead a hearing to discuss the findings of the NTSB Report. Witnesses featured include Homedy and acting FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau. Brigadier General Matthew Braman, the US Army Aviation Director General, is also invited.
Regarding the changes they wanted to see, Lane said the voluntary and “accidental nature” of reporting and dealing with air closures in the FAA must be reformed.
Regarding recommendations from the NTSB, he wanted a situation where these were not mere recommendations. He said, “I want to see some kind of enforcement requirement for them.”
Lane said he is considering taking direct legal action against the FAA, as the close relative of the two crash victims.
“It's probably going to come, but that's not something I've done yet,” he said. “I think we can expect a considerable number of families in our family to take a similar approach.”
Feles added that legal action is one of the accountability for tragedy, but “there is another form of accountability with the necessary changes.”
“I want to get on the plane again and be sure everything was done to ensure that me and my family land safely on the other side,” she said.
Feles continued: “I want it for people who are paying attention to this story. I want it for everyone. That's what makes this feel like a good outcome.”
