Families of D.C. plane crash victims urge Congress to do more on air traffic control reform

CBS News

21 hours ago

Family members of the victims of American Airlines flight 5342 — which collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter outside Washington, D.C., in January — are urging Congress to do more to address the nation's aging air traffic control system.
As the Senate aims to vote on President Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill ahead of the president's July 4 deadline, some advocates — including relatives of people killed in the American Airlines crash — say the current funding in the mega-bill is just the beginning of what is needed to overhaul the antiquated airspace system.
"We are very aware that [the funding] is a down payment only," Amy Hunter, cousin to Peter Livingston, who died in the Jan. 29 crash alongside his wife and two daughters, told CBS News. A total of 67 people died in the collision over the Potomac River, including American Airlines passengers and crew as well as the Black Hawk crew members.
"We have been assured that they understand, and the administration understands, that it has to be followed up basically immediately with the completion of funding for this project," Hunter said.
As it stands, the Senate's version of the legislation — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — dedicates $12.5 billion to modernizing the air traffic control system. A version passed by the House last month also allocated $12.5 billion to transition from copper wires to fiber optics, buy new radios and build new radar systems in air traffic control facilities nationwide.
This funding is just a fraction of what experts say is needed to completely overhaul the antiquated national airspace system. A coalition of industry groups and airlines has said at least $31 billion is needed for the overhaul.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been clear-eyed that completely overhauling the national airspace system will require more funding.
"So $12.5 billion is really important. That gives us a start to build this project, which is why I aggressively support the big beautiful Bill. But it's not enough. Again, we need more money," Duffy said in a May press conference.
The administration's plans to completely rebuild the air traffic control system include replacing outdated communication technologies, installing new software systems and building six new air traffic control centers for the first time since the 1960s.
The White House has not provided a price tag for what the overhaul would cost, but said they hope to complete the project within four years.
But for the families of AA5342 victims, more action is needed to address the nation's air traffic control system, particularly in the crowded airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where a National Transportation Safety Board review found there were over 15,214 close calls between 2011 and 2024.
The advocates have called for an independent safety review of that airspace, which can be enacted by Congress or asked for by Duffy.
Additionally, several family members of victims told CBS News the Army has not spoken with their family about the crash, which was the deadliest airline accident in the U.S. since November 2001. CBS News has reached out to the Army for comment, but has not received a response.
"We are grieving families and we are advocates, but we are Americans. We benefit from a strong prepared military and that's what we want to make sure of," Rachel Feres, another cousin of the Livingston family, said.
Families say they aren't looking for blame and want to look forward, but they feel that they shouldn't be the only advocates for making the nation's skies safer.
"We know it's a very long path. For clarity, we think that it shouldn't be a requirement that the families are involved. We should be able to grieve in private," Hunter said. "That is not a reality of today."