Families of victims killed in midair collision over Potomac make emotional appeal to Congress

Families of victims of the deadly 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport gathered with lawmakers outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, making an impassioned appeal for Congress to pass air safety legislation. The crash involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter claimed the lives of 67 people, making it one of the worst U.S. air disasters in decades. “The greatest tragedy of that is that it was utterly and completely preventable,” said U.S. Ted Cruz of Texas, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration. He and other lawmakers were surrounded by family members of the victims, who held pictures of those who lost their lives.

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