Asra Hussain Raza, a Pakistani woman, was among the victims of the mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a US military Black Hawk helicopter and subsequent crash into the Potomac River.
The crash occurred as Asra was on her way back to Washington after a work trip to Wichita, Kansas.
She had sent a text to her husband, Hamaad Raza, before the crash, informing him that she would land in 20 minutes. Hamaad was waiting at the airport but never received another message.
Asra, a 26-year-old corporate finance graduate from Indiana University, had completed her master's in public health from Columbia University.
She was dedicated to improving public health and had recently started working for a consulting firm in Washington, DC. She had married her husband Hamaad two years ago, and they had reportedly been looking forward to starting a family.
Hamaad and Asra's families are devastated by the loss. Asra’s father-in-law, Dr. Hashim Raza, shared how caring and compassionate she was, highlighting her love for cooking and her desire to help people. Dr. Hashim, a renowned doctor in Missouri, is originally from Karachi, Pakistan.
The tragic incident has left Hamaad, who works as an accountant in Missouri, heartbroken, as he reflects on the couple’s future plans.
On the other hand, Sixty-seven people died when an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near the Potomac River, close to Reagan Washington National Airport, on Wednesday.
The Bombardier jet, carrying 64 people, and the Black Hawk, with three soldiers aboard, crashed into the Potomac River. Officials confirmed there were no survivors and have transitioned from rescue to recovery efforts.
The collision occurred as the jet was landing after a routine flight from Wichita, Kansas, with passengers including ice skaters and former world champions.
President Trump confirmed the fatalities and launched a political attack on diversity hires, claiming that the tragedy was linked to previous diversity practices in aviation.
Despite the tragedy, officials noted there were no breakdowns in communication between the aircraft. The incident, the first major crash in the US since 2009, has raised concerns about the crowded airspace near Washington, DC.
The recovery operation is ongoing, with rescue teams facing challenging conditions in cold, windy weather.
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