Hamaad Raza shared the devastating details of his wife’s final moments before American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a US military helicopter near Washington, DC. The flight, which was traveling from Wichita to DC, crashed around 9 p.m. His wife had texted, “Landing in 20 minutes,” but his follow-up messages weren’t delivered, raising his fears. She had a fear of flying and often traveled to Wichita for work.
Raza prayed for her safety, hoping she’d be pulled from the Potomac River. The crash involved 60 passengers, including members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, and four crew members. Three soldiers were also aboard the helicopter.
Rescue efforts, involving around 300 responders, quickly shifted to a recovery mission due to the icy conditions on the river. No survivors were expected.
American Airlines confirmed the flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700. President Trump expressed condolences and received briefings on the accident.
