Responders recall a mission of recovery and grief a year after the midair collision near DC
January 29, 2026
Families and emergency responders are marking the one-year anniversary of the deadly plane collision over the Potomac River. American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter, killing all 67 people on board both aircraft. The plane crash on Jan. 29, 2025, was the deadliest on U.S. soil since a 2001 crash that killed 265 people. Emergency crews faced challenging conditions as they searched for victims, their personal belongings and pieces of the wreckage. Emergency response officials said the priority was recovering bodies and returning them to families. The recovery of personal items provided some closure for grieving families.