It was in late January, when American Airlines Fight 5432 departed from Wichita Kansas, headed for Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan National Airport. Just as the airplane was in a descent, just moments away from landing on the runway, a mid-air collision involving a Blackhawk helicopter took place. All 67 people on board died as a result, and the airport was immediately shut down that night and into the next morning. The coming days would be consumed with recovering the remains, and the wreckage of both aircraft. It was a truly horrific and heartbreaking event.
The passengers were children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, and colleagues. While their families await the investigation to unfold so they can get more answers about how the collision occurred, there are some developments.
Urgent Safety Recommendations from the NTSB
If only we knew then what we know now. About 6 weeks after the crash, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homedy said that “the Federal Aviation Administration permanently ban helicopter operations near Reagan when runways 15 and 33 are in use and designate an alternative helicopter route for pilots.”
ABC News reported on the other findings, which are staggering.
“Between October 2021 and December 2024, there were 944,179 commercial operations at Reagan, Homendy said. During that time, there were 15,214 close proximity events between commercial airplanes and helicopters with a lateral separation of less than 1 nautical mile and a vertical separation of less than 400 feet, she said. There were 85 events where the lateral separation was less than 1,500 feet and the vertical separation was less than 200 feet.”
Shortly after ABC News shared a statement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
”This was not an isolated incident, but a symptom of broader failures in our aviation safety system,” the statement read. “If the necessary reforms had been implemented sooner, Flight 5342 likely would have landed safely and our family members would be home with us.”
Two Near Misses Create More Concern
Just weeks later, there were other near-misses.
Two commercial flights were forced to abort landings in separate incidents on the same day, raising concerns about runway safety.
At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), American Airlines Flight 2246 was directed by air traffic control to perform a go-around at approximately 8:20 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) explained that the maneuver was necessary to ensure a safe distance between the arriving aircraft and another plane taking off from the same runway. The flight later landed safely without incident.
The FAA described go-arounds as standard aviation procedures, but the timing of this event—just weeks after a fatal crash—has reignited discussions about air traffic control protocols and airport safety.
A similar situation occurred 30 minutes later at Chicago’s Midway International Airport. A Southwest Airlines flight had to abort its landing when a private jet unexpectedly moved onto the runway. A passenger described the moment as unsettling, though the FAA again categorized the maneuver as routine.
DC Airplane Crash Lawyer
This airplane crash will be under investigation for many months to come. Some of the family members of the victims have already filed lawsuits, while others still have not done so. As you can imagine, some of those grieving may not be ready to focus on the legalities of this incident.
But when they are, the compassionate and caring lawyers at The Lapidus Law Firm stand ready to support. Call us at 202-785-5111. We will fight to make things right.