Country artist Jimmy Charles performed a set of emotionally resonant songs at the first anniversary memorial for the victims of American Airlines Flight 5342, an event designed to honor the 67 lives lost in the midair collision over the Potomac River and recognize the efforts of first responders.
The memorial, titled “Honoring the 67 & Unsung Heroes,” took place January 28, 2026, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. It occurred one day before the anniversary of the January 29, 2025, crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. The collision involved a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operated by PSA Airlines as American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission. The aircraft collided at approximately 300 feet altitude, about half a mile short of runway 33, sending both into the Potomac River with no survivors: 64 on the plane (60 passengers and four crew) and three on the helicopter.
Jimmy Charles, raised on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and now based in Nashville, was selected by the families organizing the event through their group, Families of Flight 5342. He performed four songs accompanied by fiddler Toby Zig. The lineup included two of Charles’ originals—” Let Love Carry You” and “We Are Warriors”—and covers of Kenny Chesney’s “Who You’d Be Today” and Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” The families chose the songs after suggestions from Charles and discussions among organizers.
Charles described the invitation as profoundly meaningful. “It means the world to these families to reach out to me in their worst, darkest time, losing their loved ones. The fact that they came to me to offer musical healing and be part of this ceremony is one of the biggest honors I’ve had in my career, for sure.”
Upon arriving early at the venue, Charles felt the scale and somber atmosphere. “The place is massive, you know, it’s, it’s a huge hall,” he recalled. “You can tell they have huge political events and huge concerts there. ” During sound check, a choir performed while videos of the victims played on a screen. “I’ve never cried during a sound check before, or even come close, but I did that day because the choir was absolutely beautiful, and I was right there on stage, and the video was right in front of me, and the choir was right there, and it was the first time I was hearing it and seeing it.”
The room later filled with family members who had connected over the year, creating a network of support. Charles attended a reception for families and guests. “You don’t really know who everybody is, but a lot of them know each other, because they’ve become their own little family.” He offered condolences repeatedly: “The first thing you’re saying is you’re so sorry for your loss.” The tragedy felt personal due to its location. “When the crash happened, I was shocked. We’ve made that trip into DC, I don’t know how many times.”
Charles prepared by drawing on prior experiences singing for cancer survivors and at other memorials. “I went on tour as the national spokesperson for early detection of cancer and uplifting survivors,” he explained, noting how he learned to stay strong: “I’m not getting up there and cry right now, they’ve already cried enough… I need to be strong for them. I need to show them strength so that they can have strength.” For this event, he channeled anger at the injustice: “This isn’t fair, that this happened to these people. They were just on a routine flight, just like my family could have been on that flight… They didn’t deserve this.”
The songs built from grief to hope. He introduced “We Are Warriors” by telling families they were warriors in their daily battle with loss. “I wrote this when I was touring, singing for cancer survivors, because there are warriors, but you guys are your warriors in your own right now, you are battling the loss of your loved ones, and that is an everyday battle.” “Let Love Carry You,” written during quarantine amid social tensions, emphasized love’s power: “When you get to a point where you feel like there’s no tomorrow, what’s the most powerful thing in the world? The most powerful thing in the world is love… Soak it in. Soak every single bit of it. Use it for your strength and let Love carry you.” He also belted lending ines in “Who You’d Be Today” for emotional release.
First responders were honored with medals on stage. Charles highlighted their role: “They got that call, and were there in the cold and in freezing water all night long, looking, trying to find any survivors. I can’t imagine what they endured. So happy they were rightfully honored at this ceremony.” The NTSB later cited systemic failures in airspace design and oversight as contributing factors, with no single cause, but recommendations for changes to routes, procedures, and technology.
Prominent attendees included Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Maria Cantwell, and Metropolitan Police representatives like Deputy Chief Vincent, Captain Riley, and Sergeant Butzer. Charles said their presence did not shift his focus: “I was so focused on the families… It was already big enough and did not put thought into anyone but them, the 67 and the responders.”
The event was livestreamed, but Charles prioritized the room: “ I was so focused on the families and audience I did not even think of the livestream.”
Post-performance, Charles was exhausted. “It was the shortest, longest plane ride home that I’ve ever had… My wife and I both had to go lie down when we got in” The date overlapped with his wife’s birthday on January 29. Recovery took time: “For the first three nights, I would wake up in the middle of the night, and I would be remembering the evening, remembering the video, the faces, the song lyrics… it took some time to process such a heavy event.”
Families have stayed connected via their Facebook page, sharing how songs aid healing. Charles hopes music provides ongoing support: “They can always pull those songs up… And hopefully, get some healing that they need when they need it.” He reflected on music’s power: “I’ve had cancer survivors come up to me and say, you know, you saved my life… Your song moved me, the strength to fight on.” This event reinforced the power of music:
The crash affected Southern Maryland deeply, with victims including Jonathan Boyd of Pomfret, Jesse Pitcher of Lusby, Mikey Stovall of Waldorf, Charlie McDaniel of Port Republic, Robert “Rob” Prewitt of Lusby, Steve Johnson of Welcome, Tommy Clagett of Newburg, Alex Huffman of Leonardtown, and Army pilot Andrew Loyd Eaves of Great Mills. Communities remembered them through vigils and support networks.
Christina “Lovey” Stovall, mother of Mikey Stovall, praised the choice: “The beauty of Jimmy’s voice, the depth of his lyrics, and his strong connection to Maryland made it clear to us that he was the perfect fit.”
The memorial fostered unity among families, first responders, leaders, and attendees in remembrance and advocacy for aviation safety reforms following the NTSB findings.
Editor’s Note: The article was updated to the correct towns of the some of the SoMD victims per family members on 2/4/2026.