What resources are available for family of victims of Wichita plane that crashed in DC?
Officials believe there are no survivors after a plane crash in Washington, D.C., led to a Wichita flight going down in the Potomac River.
American Airlines flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter in its descent into Ronald Reagan National Airport around 9 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, with 60 passengers and four crew on board.
Thursday morning, authorities announced that they were switching from a “rescue operation to a recovery operation,” expecting to find no survivors of the crash. We’ve gathered resource information for family members of victims.
Anyone looking for information about their loved ones on board are directed to call American Airlines at 1-800-679-8215. The airline also set up a webpage where updated information on the flight will be shared.
National Transportation Safety Board can connect family members with the American Red Cross to provide short-term counseling and referrals free of charge. In some cases the Red Cross can also provide longer-term mental health service referrals. They can also connect family members with other appropriate resources as well as serve as the well as serve as the primary source of contact to answer family members’ questions and provide investigation updates..
The board can be reached at assistance@ntsb.gov and 202-314-6185.
The NTSB may also take custody of victims’ personal effects but will return them to designated family members. You can call the board’s Transportation Disaster Assistance division at the above number for personal effect inquiries. D.C. area coroners will likely handle victim identification.
The NTSB is leading the investigation and will release several reports over the next year or more about the crash.
Wichita aid for passengers’ families
For those who want to help, the Wichita Foundation started a community aid fund to assist those who have been impacted by the plane crash. The money will be used to provide direct assistance to families, provide resources to first responders and supporting mental health services.
“ICT Together is a community-led response to support those affected by this evolving tragedy. Managed by the Wichita Foundation, the fund will provide aid to impacted families and local efforts, adapting to meet the community’s changing needs as we heal,” the Wichita Foundation’s website reads.
You can donate to the fund on the Wichita Foundation’s website.
This story may be updated with additional information.
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 11:49 AM.
