DC plane crash was no 'isolated' incident, families claim

Family of Victims Expresses Concern Over Recurring Aviation Issues

The family of four individuals who lost their lives in a January mid-air collision between a Black Hawk military helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet has voiced concerns that the conditions leading to the accident were not “isolated” and could have been entirely prevented. This statement was made ahead of an investigative hearing set to take place on Wednesday, where the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will examine the incident.

Rachel Feres, who lost her cousin Peter Livingston, his wife Donna, and their two daughters Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, emphasized the ongoing issue of aviation mishaps involving both military and civilian aircraft. “What we’ve seen since is that there have been multiple reports of aviation mishaps. There have been multiple reports of near misses involving military aircraft and civilian aircraft. It is shocking that this continues to go on,” she said.

This tragedy has sparked a call for urgent action to address systemic issues that contributed to the crash. The family highlighted several factors that created a dangerous environment, including communication breakdowns between the US Army, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and air traffic control towers. Additionally, they pointed out the risks involved in sending a three-member helicopter crew into crowded civilian airspace while wearing night-vision goggles, which limited their peripheral vision.

The NTSB is scheduled to hold a three-day investigative hearing to review factual reports, cockpit voice recorder transcripts, photographs, and other materials related to the Jan. 29 collision over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The agency has already recovered all flight data recorders and retrieved the wreckage of both aircraft.

Feres noted that the family is eager to gain a clearer understanding of what happened during the crash. “Human error occurred in an environment of unacceptable risk,” she stated. She also criticized the FAA for failing to recognize a concerning pattern of near misses in Washington airspace over the past three years. Although the FAA has since banned some helicopter routes to separate helicopters and planes from shared airspace, there have still been recent near misses.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has pledged to follow NTSB recommendations and use artificial intelligence to analyze data and prevent similar dangers at other airports. “The breakdown here was that these risk factors were out there. The data was there. It wasn’t being analyzed. That’s what makes this preventable,” Feres said.

The family expressed concern that the incident might be viewed as an isolated event unique to Washington, D.C., but they believe it highlights a broader issue across the national airspace. “I don’t believe that,” Feres added. “I think we need to do a better job across our national airspace, ensuring that the area around every airport is safe.”

Legal Actions and Emotional Impact

Justin Green, an attorney representing the families of 31 victims, including the Livingston family, mentioned that no lawsuits have been filed yet, but they are expected to come in August and over the next six months. A waiting period follows the filing of a notice of claim, and approximately 90% of the victims’ families have already taken this step. Lawsuits can only be filed after the government denies the claim or six months have passed without a response.

Green, a former Marine Corps tech helicopter pilot, emphasized the importance of the hearings in the families’ advocacy efforts. “We want to get to every risk factor that caused this accident and make sure that this doesn’t happen, not just in DC, but anywhere in the country,” he said.

Grief and Advocacy

The last six months have been emotionally challenging for the family, marked by “missed firsts” such as the first Father’s Day without Peter and the first birthday without loved ones. The Livingston family was traveling home to Virginia after their daughters attended an ice skating camp in Wichita, Kansas, for young Olympic hopefuls.

Amy Hunter, another cousin of Livingston, described the past months as a “rollercoaster of ups and downs.” However, the family’s focus has shifted toward turning grief into advocacy. “Our goal now is to turn grief into advocacy, especially since no one from their cousin’s family is left to speak up for them,” Hunter said.

The family has received significant support from lawmakers, including members of the transportation committee, such as Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Maria Cantwell. They have also received backing from staffers on Capitol Hill. “We’ve had a lot of support and open doors from everybody, a ton of support from the staffers that work on the hill, and we’re very appreciative of it, and we expect that that will continue,” Hunter added.