U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today ordered American flags flown above Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration buildings to be flown at half-staff to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragic midair collision of American Airlines Flight 5342.
The Department also invited Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport to similarly fly their flags at half-staff.
“Today marks the one-year anniversary of a horrific tragedy over the skies of our nation’s capital – the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. While twelve months have passed, the loss of those 67 souls and the impact it had on their loved ones, their communities, and the country remains painfully fresh,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “I want to once again extend my deepest condolences to our impacted families, as well as express gratitude to the countless emergency service workers who responded instantaneously. Nothing can return those cherished 67 souls, but we have and will continue to push to ensure no family ever has to experience such heartbreak again.”