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A regional relief fund has been launched to support victims’ families, first responders and recovery services following the Jan. 29 midair collision near Reagan National Airport that is believed to have killed 67 people.
The Capital Area Community Foundations, a partnership of Washington-area nonprofits that includes the Oakton-based Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, established the DCA Together Relief Fund on Jan. 31. The effort supplements individual fundraisers and meal trains created after the crash.
The fund will help families cover funeral expenses and other immediate needs. Donations will also support first responders and organizations providing mental health care, grief counseling and community recovery resources.
American Airlines Flight 5342, which originated in Wichita, Kansas, collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter shortly before 9 p.m. The helicopter was conducting a training mission from Fort Belvoir when both aircraft fell into the Potomac River.
All 67 people aboard the two aircraft are believed to have died. By the afternoon of Feb. 2, authorities had recovered and identified 55 victims, according to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly.
Among the airline passengers were three Fairfax County Public Schools students and their parents. They were part of a large U.S. Figure Skating group returning from a development camp held after the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. U.S. Figure Skating has created a separate family support fund for members of its community.
The Army identified the helicopter crew as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, a Georgia native who was piloting the aircraft; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, a repairer from Maryland; and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, an aviation officer from Durham, North Carolina.
Lobach’s identity was initially withheld at her family’s request before the Army released her name Feb. 1. Her family remembered her as a daughter, sister, partner, friend, caregiver and advocate who made a difference to those who knew her.
Fairfax County is among the jurisdictions assisting with the regional emergency response. Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said the county is working with partner organizations to offer counseling and other services.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, founded in 1978, manages philanthropic contributions through grants, scholarships, endowments and permanent funds.
The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the cause of the collision and has said a preliminary report could be released within 30 days.
The Federal Aviation Administration has since added restrictions around DCA, indefinitely suspending low-altitude helicopter flights near the airport.
Virginia Reps. Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer and Suhas Subramanyam were among the Washington-area lawmakers who asked the Defense Department on Jan. 31 to review whether military training flights should continue near National Airport. They argued that placing helicopter training beside the country’s busiest runway creates an unnecessary risk when similar exercises could be conducted in less congested airspace.