WASHINGTON – It’s been one year since the tragic midair collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter claimed the lives of 67 people. 

The crash left families shattered and hearts broken. Family, friends and loved ones of the victims have had to reconcile with the tragedy, while 

On this first anniversary, family members of the people who died in the crash joined FOX 5’s Katie Barlow for a special discussion honoring their loved ones.

Families, first responders reflect one year after the DCA plane crash

The backstory:

On Jan. 29, American Airlines Flight 5342 was preparing to touchdown at Ronald Reagan National Airport when air traffic controllers asked pilots if they could land the jet on a shorter runway a few minutes before landing, and they said they were able. 

Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight-tracking sites showed the plane adjusting its approach to the new runway. 

Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the Black Hawk if it had the arriving plane in sight. 

NTSB Chairwoman reflects on DCA plane crash investigation nearly 1 year later

The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later, telling them, “PAT 25, pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided. 

The wreckage tumbled into the icy Potomac River, and all 67 people on board — 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Eagle jetliner, and three people on board the military helicopter — were killed in the crash. 

It marked the deadliest U.S. air disaster in almost 25 years.

Just this week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a major hearing on the crash, blaming deep systemic failures by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Army crew and air traffic operations for the crash. 

Investigators said the tragedy was preventable, pointing to a helicopter route too close to the airport’s runway, poor communication, malfunctioning equipment and warnings about close calls that went unheeded.

The victims:

The 67 people on board the American Airlines flight and the Blackhawk helicopter all tragically lost their lives that cold January night.  

READ MORE: Figure skating community honors plane crash victims

Below is a list of the victims on board the flight or the helicopter. 

• Everly Livingston
• Alydia Livingston
• Donna Livingston
• Peter Livingston
• Franco Aparicio
• Luciano Aparicio
• Edward Zhou, and his parents Kiyan and Joe
• Cory Haynos, and his parents Stephanie and Roger
• Brielle Beyer and her mom Justyna
• Spencer Lane
• Christine Lane
• Jinna Han
• Jin Han
• Olivia Ter and her mom Oleysa
• Jesse Pitcher
• Tommy Clagget
• Mikey Stovall
• Jon Boyd
• Steve Johnson
• Charles McDaniel
• Alex Huffman
• Andrew Eaves
• Vikesh Patel
• Elizabeth Keys
• Sarah Best
• Casey Crafton
• Sean Kay and his mother Yulia
• Asra Hussain
• Evgenia Shishkova
• Vadim Naumov
• Inna Volyanskaya
• Ryan O’Hara
• Kiah Duggins
• Ian Epstein
• Tim Lilley
• Jonathan Campos
• Wendy Shaffer

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is heading to Washington, D.C. on Thursday to push for an end to “unlawful ICE operations,” his office announced. 

Frey’s trip to the nation’s capital comes as White House border czar Tom Homan vowed Thursday to remain in Minnesota leading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations there “until the problem is gone.” It’s unclear if Frey will meet with the White House while he is in Washington, but he is expected to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors at 1:45 p.m. ET, before heading back home later Thursday evening.

“Mayor Jacob Frey is traveling to Washington, D.C. today to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he will meet with mayors and federal lawmakers from across the country to advocate for an end to Operation Metro Surge and other unlawful ICE operations,” his office said in a statement. 

“During the visit, Mayor Frey will also participate in national discussions focused on how cities can work together to keep communities safe while upholding the rule of law,” it added. “Since Operation Metro Surge began in Minnesota, families have been torn apart, small businesses have suffered economic losses, and local law enforcement agencies have experienced increased strain.”

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO STAY IN MINNESOTA ‘UNTIL THE PROBLEM’S GONE’

Frey said in his own statement that, “Minneapolis may be where we’ve seen one of the largest ICE deployments in the country, but it will not be the last if we fail to act.” 

Homan said Thursday morning that the Trump administration is working on a “drawdown plan” to decrease the presence of federal agents in Minnesota. 

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said, “Surprisingly, Mayor Jacob Frey just stated that, ‘Minneapolis does not, and will not, enforce Federal Immigration Laws.’ This is after having had a very good conversation with him.” 

“Could somebody in his inner sanctum please explain that this statement is a very serious violation of the Law, and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE!” Trump warned. 

KLOBUCHAR LAUNCHES MINNESOTA GOVERNOR BID AFTER WALZ ENDS RE-ELECTION RUN AMID MASSIVE FRAUD SCANDAL

Frey responded to the president’s comments. 

“The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws. I want them preventing homicides, not hunting down a working dad who contributes to MPLS & is from Ecuador. It’s similar to the policy your guy Rudy had in NYC. Everyone should feel safe calling 911,” the mayor asserted in a post on X, making an apparent reference to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The president issued the warning on Wednesday after Frey, who met with Homan on Tuesday, declared in a Tuesday post on X that the city will not enforce federal immigration law. 

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

King and queen of Washington Mardi Gras Gray Stream and Sarah Heebe, center, stand alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Steve Scalise, right, at the home of the Ambassador of France to the United States, Laurent Bili, back left, during a Washington Mardi Gras party on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)