ALPA Pledges Continued Safety Advocacy One Year After PSA Flight 5342

Pilots' Union Reaffirms Commitment to Preventing Future Tragedies

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement today commemorating one year since the tragic accident involving PSA Airlines Flight 5342.

“Today marks one year since we lost 67 lives—a loss that sent shockwaves through our union, our industry, and the entire aviation community. It was the first fatal accident involving a U.S. passenger airliner in nearly 16 years. It’s hard to find the words to capture what this day truly meant.

“On this day a year ago, we lost friends. We lost colleagues. We lost loved ones. The pain of that loss has not faded with time—it remains as real today as it was then. We gather today not because the grief has passed, but because their memories matter, and we will not forget the lives that were needlessly cut short.

“In the year since this accident, our community has demonstrated who we are at our core. We stepped up to assist in the investigation, to care for the families and colleagues navigating unimaginable loss, and to advance the cause of safety in honor of Flight 5342. In moments of deep sorrow, we stand together. That is our strength.

“We commend the National Transportation Safety Board’s unwavering commitment to uncovering the full scope of factors surrounding the accident involving PSA Flight 5342. Through their extensive investigative efforts, which ALPA supported, they have made numerous recommendations to strengthen our aviation system and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Along with our support of existing regulatory and legislative solutions including the ROTOR Act, ALPA is ready to fight for the NTSB's recommendations to save lives and spare us another tragedy like the one we remember today.

“Every accident reveals a responsibility. It is an opportunity to make aviation safer. We cannot change the past. We cannot undo that pain carried by families and friends. But we can, and we must, do everything in our power to prevent similar tragedies from happening again in the future.

“The way we keep the legacy of the crew of Flight 5342 alive is through action. It is through our commitment to advancing safety, just as they did every time they reported for duty. Every safe arrival, every lesson learned, and every safeguard strengthened is part of the promise we make to those we lost.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us on X @ALPAPilots.

CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org