Families remember victims, urge safety changes after DC crash

Rachel Feres remembers her cousin, Peter Livingston, his wife Donna, and their daughters, Everly and Alydia — four of the 67 people who lost their lives in a deadly midair collision that shocked the nation. Thursday marks one year since the crash, becoming the deadliest on U.S. soil in more than two decades.Feres recalls learning the news through a phone call with her dad.”He said, ‘They’re all gone. They’re all gone.'” Feres said. “It was devastating.”The girls, Alydia and Everly, had big dreams of competing at the Olympics, according to Feres, and were well on their way. In January that year, the sisters were invited to skate at a development camp with U.S. Figure Skating.The Livingstons were returning home when a military Blackhawk collided with their passenger plane the evening of January 29, 2025.”They were wonderful people. They’re missed very much,” Feres said. “They’re missed every day.”One year after the deadly crash, family, friends and strangers gathered this week in Washington to remember the 67 lost, celebrating the lives of those like Chris Collins, who was routed to the same plane as the Livingstons while flying back from a work trip.His brother, Matthew, says Chris loved animals and the outdoors.”He’s missed dearly. He’s missed daily,” Matthew Collins said. “He went and walked rescue dogs almost every single day, everyday that he wasn’t traveling.”The grief is now fueling calls for action. At a hearing this week, families joined investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), highlighting years of ignored warnings over air traffic dangers, lack of military and air tower training, and underused FAA data of near-misses surrounding Ronald Reagan National Airport. All factors, investigators said, that led to the crash.”This was preventable. This was 100% preventable,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. “We couldn’t find any evidence of an annual review, nor could the FAA tell us who did them. That is astounding to me.”Feres says if the issues are fixed immediately, it could prevent more disasters from happening.”I think the outcome of January 29 would have been very different,” Feres said. “My family would be here if any one of these things had been paid attention to.”The families and the NTSB are also advocating for a bill requiring an advanced locator system on every aircraft. The bill has so far gained unanimous support in the Senate. In a statement, the FAA says that safety remains its top priority and has taken steps to improve it.”Protecting pilots, flight attendants, crews, and the traveling public requires identifying risks early, addressing them transparently, and taking decisive action to keep the National Airspace System safe,” the statement read. “The FAA values and appreciates the NTSB’s expertise and input. We have worked side-by-side with the NTSB throughout this accident investigation and acted immediately to implement urgent safety recommendations it issued in March 2025. We will carefully consider the additional recommendations the NTSB made today.”The FAA also says it’s implemented several more changes since the tragedy. The Get The Facts Data Team compiled a memorial of all 67 victims in the deadly crash. More can be found here.Watch the latest coverage on the DC midair collision:

WASHINGTON —

Rachel Feres remembers her cousin, Peter Livingston, his wife Donna, and their daughters, Everly and Alydia — four of the 67 people who lost their lives in a deadly midair collision that shocked the nation.

Thursday marks one year since the crash, becoming the deadliest on U.S. soil in more than two decades.

Feres recalls learning the news through a phone call with her dad.

“He said, ‘They’re all gone. They’re all gone.'” Feres said. “It was devastating.”

The girls, Alydia and Everly, had big dreams of competing at the Olympics, according to Feres, and were well on their way. In January that year, the sisters were invited to skate at a development camp with U.S. Figure Skating.

The Livingstons were returning home when a military Blackhawk collided with their passenger plane the evening of January 29, 2025.

“They were wonderful people. They’re missed very much,” Feres said. “They’re missed every day.”

One year after the deadly crash, family, friends and strangers gathered this week in Washington to remember the 67 lost, celebrating the lives of those like Chris Collins, who was routed to the same plane as the Livingstons while flying back from a work trip.

His brother, Matthew, says Chris loved animals and the outdoors.

“He’s missed dearly. He’s missed daily,” Matthew Collins said. “He went and walked rescue dogs almost every single day, everyday that he wasn’t traveling.”

The grief is now fueling calls for action. At a hearing this week, families joined investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), highlighting years of ignored warnings over air traffic dangers, lack of military and air tower training, and underused FAA data of near-misses surrounding Ronald Reagan National Airport. All factors, investigators said, that led to the crash.

“This was preventable. This was 100% preventable,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. “We couldn’t find any evidence of an annual review, nor could the FAA tell us who did them. That is astounding to me.”

Feres says if the issues are fixed immediately, it could prevent more disasters from happening.

“I think the outcome of January 29 would have been very different,” Feres said. “My family would be here if any one of these things had been paid attention to.”

The families and the NTSB are also advocating for a bill requiring an advanced locator system on every aircraft. The bill has so far gained unanimous support in the Senate.

In a statement, the FAA says that safety remains its top priority and has taken steps to improve it.

“Protecting pilots, flight attendants, crews, and the traveling public requires identifying risks early, addressing them transparently, and taking decisive action to keep the National Airspace System safe,” the statement read. “The FAA values and appreciates the NTSB’s expertise and input. We have worked side-by-side with the NTSB throughout this accident investigation and acted immediately to implement urgent safety recommendations it issued in March 2025. We will carefully consider the additional recommendations the NTSB made today.”

The FAA also says it’s implemented several more changes since the tragedy.

The Get The Facts Data Team compiled a memorial of all 67 victims in the deadly crash. More can be found here.

Watch the latest coverage on the DC midair collision: