Husband shares haunting final texts with wife minutes before American Airlines flight 5342 crash

Rescue teams continue searching the Potomac River as officials investigate the tragic mid-air collision.

A man whose wife was a passenger on the ill-fated American Airlines Flight 5342 has shared the heartbreaking final messages he sent her before the tragic crash.

Hamaad Raza revealed that his 26-year-old wife was on board the flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, which collided with a military helicopter shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday night.

Emergency responders are conducting search operations in the Potomac River near the airport following the accident.

"I'm just praying that somebody's 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 told WUSA9.

According to Raza, the plane was close to landing when his wife regained reception and was able to send him a text just moments before the crash.

He then shared his messages with a reporter, who later described the exchange as "one of the most heartbreaking interviews of my professional career."

"She texted me that they were landing in 20 minutes. The rest of my texts didn't get delivered and that's when I realized that something might be up," he said.

Raza explained that his wife had been traveling to Wichita for work but had always felt uneasy about flying.

He and a family member anxiously paced through Terminal 2 at Reagan Airport, awaiting any updates on the situation.

The airline confirmed that Flight 5342 was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when the collision occurred.

According to NBC Washington, rescue teams have pulled at least four people from the water, and dive crews are currently surveying the crash site.

Reports indicate that the aircraft broke apart upon impact and is now submerged in approximately seven feet of water, while the helicopter is upside down and unstable.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ700, collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Runway 33.

Defense officials stated that the Black Hawk belonged to the Army and was carrying three soldiers on a training mission at the time of the crash.

Sources within law enforcement informed CNN that there are confirmed fatalities and that no survivors have been rescued so far.

Meanwhile, CBS reported that 18 bodies have been recovered, and divers are currently searching three separate debris fields.