Government Response Scorecard
This scorecard represents the Flight 5342 families’ ongoing assessment of the urgency and effectiveness of the response to the tragedy by government agencies and elected officials. It is updated every 100 days.
Last update: May 9, 2025
U.S. Army
Rating
Failing
The Army has offered no explanation, minimal engagement with families, and no sign of reform. Last week, a Black Hawk from the same brigade triggered another dangerous incident. The message is loud and clear: this is not just a communications failure—it’s a failure of top leadership and a sign of a broken safety culture.
Explanation
Publicly explain what went wrong, engage directly with families, and announce a real plan for operational and cultural safety reform.
Critical Actions: Next 100 Days
FAA
Needs Major Improvement
The FAA responded quickly to close Route 4 and has taken steps to limit ADS-B exceptions near DCA. These are important first moves. But the agency has not taken ownership of the systemic gaps that allowed this crash to happen. Its broader response has lacked urgency, transparency, and a clear plan to take responsibility for data analysis, oversight of civil-military airspace coordination, and long-term safety improvements nationwide. Most recently, the FAA halted the work of an independent panel reviewing its oversight of air traffic control operations—raising new concerns about its commitment to reform.
Conduct and publish a national review of oversight and coordination failures, take responsibility for civil-military airspace management, reinstate the independent ATC oversight review panel, and commit to systemic safety reforms.
NTSB
Excellent
The NTSB has been a model of what a strong response looks like. They’ve shared information with families, investigated thoroughly, and quickly flagged ongoing safety risks like Route 4. By surfacing hard truths quickly and clearly, they’ve made it harder for others to look away.
Continue independent investigation work, transparency with families, and proactive identification of ongoing risks in the national airspace system.
U.S. DOT
Strong Performance
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has consistently engaged with impacted families and shown a serious commitment to air traffic safety and modernization. The rollout of the ATC reform plan is an encouraging step. We’re hopeful it will reflect the urgency this moment demands, and that DOT will continue leading with transparency and accountability.
Release the full ATC modernization plan, support an IG investigation into FAA oversight failures, and publicly report findings from its analysis of national near-miss “hot spots.”
Congress
Strong Performance
Congress has held hearings, shined a light on gaps like the ADS-B Out exemptions, and engaged directly with impacted families. Several members and their staff have been highly responsive and appear committed to pushing for change.
Authorize an independent operational safety review and formally request Inspectors General to investigate FAA and US Army risk mitigation failures. Ensure reforms are prioritized in upcoming aviation legislation.