Dear Constituent,

The collision between American Eagle Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter at National Airport on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 is an unbearable tragedy.

My heart goes out to the families of all who lost their lives in this accident.

If you believe you may have had loved ones on board Flight 5342, please call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215.

It is my team’s top priority to support the families affected by this tragedy and ensure they have the help they need. If you or a loved one need assistance, please give us a call at 703-658-5403.

I also want to express my undying thanks to the first responders who immediately rushed to the scene and risked their lives in the deadly cold as part of the rescue operations. Their efforts were a light in a dark moment.

We owe it to those we lost and their loved ones to find out why this happened, and to make sure it never happens again. That is where the federal response will be, and I will be very focused on that as we learn more about this accident.

In days and weeks to come, I will share updates here on this page about my work as well as the efforts of federal, state, and local officials to respond to this collision. I want to particularly highlight mental health resources that could help anyone affected by Wednesday’s crash, linked here.

I have already responded to this accident by seeking a pause to military helicopter training flights in the area, with a long term safety review to examine the question of whether it is truly necessary to hold these flights specifically in the airspace around National. The FAA has halted helicopter flight routes near National for the present, which I support.

Shortly after the crash, I hosted a meeting with our local city mayors and county board chairs to discuss emergency response and recovery efforts and to outline federal support. I truly appreciate their commitment to ongoing collaboration.

I also know that, like me, many of you are upset and worried about actions taken in the past few days by the Trump Administration. I am working to respond to these developments as well, and want to hear from you to inform that work.

I will hold a telephone town hall specifically on issues related to the federal workforce on the evening of Monday, February 3^rd, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Those who wish to participate can join by calling 833-998-0892.

There is a lot to keep track of right now, and I will continue to address these and other issues in the days and weeks ahead. Please know that I am working hard to help you and to support our community.