The tragic last text that his wife sent him has been made public by the spouse of one of the passengers on the American Airlines flight that went down yesterday evening over Washington, DC.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FDA) reports that the aircraft struck a US Army helicopter as it approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at approximately 21:00 local time.
According to reports, the aircraft carried four crew members and sixty passengers. Meanwhile, three troops reportedly engaged in a training exercise were aboard the military chopper.
Horrifying CCTV footage of the moment the jet and chopper collided, captured from a nearby building, has gone viral online. Before both planes plummeted into the Potomac River, a sphere of flames could be seen exploding upon impact.
Last night, officials in Washington, DC, insisted that they are concentrating on the ongoing rescue attempt and declined to confirm claims of casualties.
About 300 rescuers on rubber boats have been sent out on the Potomac River to look for survivors, according to John Donnelly, the chief of fire and emergency services in Washington, DC, as reported by the BBC.
“The challenge is access, there is wind, pieces of ice (on the water). It is dangerous and hard to work in,” Donnelly said.
One of the passengers on Flight 5342, Hamaad Raza, has spoken out about the last text message his wife sent him, which was sent minutes before the fatal crash.
“I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now as we speak, that’s all I can pray for, I’m just praying to God,” Raza explained to WUSA9.
“She texted me that they were landing in 20 minutes.”
He added: “‘Landing in 20 minutes’, the rest of my texts did not get delivered, that’s when I realized something might be up.”
Following the incident, American Airlines issued the following statement: “American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700.”
The aircraft had four crew members and sixty passengers.
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”
To find out if you have loved ones aboard Flight 5342, contact American Airlines at 800-679-8215, toll-free. For more phone numbers, callers from outside the United States can visit news.aa.com. Family members in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, or Puerto Rico can give 800-679-8215 a call directly.
President Donald Trump, who assumed office on Monday, expressed his monitoring of the issue and acknowledged receiving a comprehensive briefing on the “horrible accident.”
“May God Bless their souls,” he said in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders.”
