A heartbroken husband has revealed the moment he realized his wife was on the doomed American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, DC.

An American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter. Credit: Handout / Getty

American Airlines Flight 5342 carrying 64 passengers collided with an army Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers, as it approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday (January 29).

The catastrophic impact, which is the deadliest US air disaster since 2001, sent both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River around 9PM local time.

During a press conference the following day, President Donald Trump confirmed that there were no survivors from either aircraft.

According to Sky News, rescue crews had recovered 40 bodies from the river, leaving 27 people still unaccounted for.

President Donald Trump confirmed that there were no survivors from either aircraft. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Among those who tragically died was Asra Hussain, who had been returning home from a work trip in Kansas.

Asra’s husband, Hamaad Raza, had been waiting for her at Reagan National Airport when he received what would be her final message, which read: “We’re landing in 20 minutes.”

But those 20 minutes passed, and she never walked through the terminal doors. Instead, her distraught partner watched as emergency vehicles sped past him toward the Potomac River.

“I was waiting and I started seeing a bunch of EMS vehicles speeding past me, like way too many than normal,” he told NBC 4 Washington.

As panic set in, he tried texting his wife again – but the messages weren’t going through. When he finally reached Terminal 2, he saw hundreds of emergency workers swarming the area.

Desperate for answers, he turned to social media. “I show up to the airport, and my wife’s not responding, and I look on Twitter and I see that it’s her flight,” he said.

Raza and Hussain met in college in Indiana and had only been married for two years.

The devastated man opened up about what his late wife meant to him, telling the outlet: “She went above and beyond and then took a giant leap over that when it came to doing things for other people, for me, for her parents, for my parents,” adding: “She was the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

It’s been a day and the tragic reality still hadn’t sunk in. “It just, feels crazy that it happened to us, to be honest. I mean, it’s like you see these things happen in the news, you see them happen in other countries,” he said.

Now, instead of planning their future together, Raza is planning his wife’s funeral. “Life is short. Hug your loved ones,” he told viewers.

“Tell them you love them when they’re getting on a flight. Check up on them. Text your family when you land,” Raza added.

Officials have said 64 people were on board the plane, with another three soldiers in the helicopter. Credit: Kayla Bartkowski / Getty

Investigators are still piecing together what went wrong, but early reports suggest the helicopter was flying too high – about 400 feet – when it crossed paths with the descending airliner, the New York Post reported.

Per CNN, The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the probe into the collision, revealed that the plane’s flight data and voice recorders, known as black boxes, have been recovered.

While officials have yet to pinpoint an official cause, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn’t hold back when addressing the tragedy.

“Absolutely preventable,” he said on Thursday, agreeing with President Trump that “it looks like it should have been prevented,” per GMA.

Following the tragic American Airlines disaster, the first victims have been named and pictured, after authorities revealed that there are assumed to be no survivors…

The incident occurred over Washington D.C. on Wednesday night, as American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter.

The rescue mission was switched to a recovery operation on January 30. Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty

The crash, which occurred over the frigid Potomac River, is one of the deadliest commercial aviation disasters in the United States in more than two decades.

All of the 64 people on the plane, and three on the helicopter, are now presumed dead.

Here’s what we know about some of the victims:

Spencer Lane and Christine LaneSpencer Lane, a rising star from the Skating Club of Boston believed to be 16 years old, was among the skaters on board. “Spencer, in the best way possible, was a crazy kid,” said the club’s CEO, Doug Zeghibe.

“Highly talented, has not been skating that long, and has been rocketing to the top of the sport. Very fun, very cerebral.” His mother, Christine Lane, was also on the flight, per the New York Post.

Spencer Lane died in the incident. Credit: Instagram/Spencer Lane

Jinna Han and Jin HanFellow teen skater Jinna Han, 15, was also on board with her mother, Jin Han. “Jinna, just a wonderful kid. A great athlete, great competitor. Loved by all,” Zeghibe said. He also acknowledged the sacrifices both mothers made for their children’s careers.

Jinna Han. Credit: US Figure Skating

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim NaumovRenowned Russian-born coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, a married pair who won the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships, were also passengers.

They had spent decades coaching young skaters in New England. Their son, competitive skater Maxim Naumov, was not on the plane.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov extended condolences following the confirmation of their deaths.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed,” he said. “We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash.”

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova (pictured in 1997) were reportedly on the plane. Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport/Getty Images

The Livingston FamilyDonna and Peter Livingston, along with their daughters Everly, 11, and Alydia, 14, were among the victims. The girls, members of the Washington Figure Skating Club, had recently attended the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Donna and Peter Livingston along with their two daughters, Everly and Alydia were killed in the crash. Credit: Instagram/Donna Livingston

Wendy ShafferShaffer, a mother of two, was remembered as “always smiling” by her friend, FOX News correspondent Bill Melugin. Her husband, Nate, added: “She was not just beautiful on the outside, but was a truly amazing woman through and through.”

Grace MaxwellA 20-year-old college student, Maxwell was returning to Cedarville University in Ohio after attending her grandfather’s funeral.

Casey CraftonCrafton, a Connecticut father of three and youth soccer coach, was described as a “dedicated father, husband, and community member.”

Kiah DugginsDuggins, a former Miss Kansas contestant and aspiring law professor, had been preparing to teach at Howard University in the fall.

Pergentino Malabed, Jr.Malabed, a Philippine police colonel, was among the international victims.

Vikesh PatelPatel, a longtime GE Aerospace employee, had been with the company for over a decade. “Our hearts are with his family and all those impacted by this horrific accident,” GE CEO Larry Culp said.

Bob and Lori SchrockThe Kansas couple had been traveling to visit their daughter at Villanova University when they were killed.

Inna VolyanskayaInna Volyanskaya, a former Soviet Union figure skating competitor, was among those killed. More recently, she had been a coach at Ashburn Ice House in Virginia.

“Inna also had a lot of success internationally achieving gold, silver, and bronze medals in various international competitions,” the club’s website states.

Ashburn Ice House General Manager Rob Lorenzen confirmed her passing to NBC Washington.

Inna Volyanskaya. Credit: Instagram/Inna Volyanskaya

Michael Stovall and Jesse PitcherMichael Stovall, a Maryland native, was returning home from a duck hunting trip in Kansas when the plane crashed.

The 40-year-old father was a steamfitter and Baltimore Orioles fan who enjoyed skiing and outdoor adventures, according to The New York Times.

Asra HussainAsra Hussain, a 26-year-old Indiana University graduate, sent a haunting final text message to her husband, Hamaad Raza, just moments before the fatal crash.

“We are landing in 20 minutes,” she wrote.

Angela Yang, Sean Kay, and Alexandr “Sasha” KirsanovYoung figure skaters Angela Yang and Sean Kay, along with their coach Alexandr “Sasha” Kirsanov, were on board.

Kirsanov’s wife, Natalia Gudin, confirmed their deaths to the News Journal.

“We always use American Airlines when we go to competition,” she said. “This time they go without me, and all of them are gone.”

More than a dozen figure skaters had been traveling back from the event in Wichita.

Angela Yang and Sean Kay and their teacher Alexandr “Sasha” Kirsanov were all killed in the crash. Credit: U.S. Figure Skating

Elizabeth Anne Keys and Sarah Lee BestElizabeth Anne Keys, 33, was returning to Washington, D.C., from a work trip when she was killed. She died on her birthday, her longtime partner and family confirmed.

“She was just the best partner and so special, had such a sharp wit, and just really pushed everyone around her to be the best version of themselves,” her partner of six years, David Seidman, told The Enquirer.

Keys worked as an attorney in Washington, D.C. Her colleague, Sarah Lee Best, had recently joined their firm and had served as a judicial law clerk in several federal courts, including the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The crew onboard American Airlines flight 5342:Sam Lilley, First OfficerSam Lilley, 28, was one of the pilots aboard the American Airlines flight. “I was so proud when Sam became a pilot,” his father, Tim Lilley, wrote in a tribute. Lilley was engaged to be married in the fall.

Ian Epstein, Flight AttendantEpstein worked for PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines. His family confirmed his passing in a heartfelt social media post. “Please pray for Ian and our family as we travel to DC,” wrote a relative.

Ian Epstein. Credit: Ian Epstein /Facebook

Danasia Elder, Flight AttendantElder’s brother-in-law, Brandon Payne, described her as “a great wife, a great parent, a great friend.” She leaves behind a husband and two children.

Danasia Elder. Credit: realpettymay0/Instagram

Jonathan Campos, CaptainCampos, a pilot for PSA Airlines, had dreamed of flying since he was three years old. “I think he wanted to be free, and be able to fly and soar like a bird,” said his aunt, Beverly Lane.

Those on the military Black Hawk helicopter:Ryan O’Hara, Crew ChiefO’Hara, a Georgia native and graduate of Parkview High School, was identified as one of the Army personnel on the Black Hawk helicopter, per WSBTV.

“Ryan is fondly remembered as a guy who would fix things around the [ROTC] gym as well as a vital member of the Rifle Team,” his high school JROTC program wrote.

Andrew Eaves, Chief Warrant Officer 2Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves confirmed the death of Eaves, a native of Brooksville, Mississippi. “Mississippi is mourning the loss of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves,” Reeves wrote. His wife, Carrie, mourned his passing, saying: “We ask for peace while we grieve.”

Andrew Eaves. Credit: Facebook / Carrie Eaves

Four young figure skaters and their parents were also among the victims:

Brielle Magdalena Beyer, 12, and her mother, Justyna Magdalena Beyer, 42, of Aldie, Virginia. Brielle had recently celebrated her birthday, according to NBC Connecticut.

Edward Zhou, 16, and his parents, Kaiyan and Joe Zhou, from Fairfax, Virginia. Zhou was remembered for his fearless skating and positive attitude. “He always smiled and laughed every time he fell,” said The Skating Lesson podcast.

Franco Aparicio and his father, Luciano Aparicio, were traveling to an elite figure skating camp for the second year in a row.

Cory Haynos, 16, had stayed in Wichita for an additional training session before returning home to Fairfax with his parents, Stephanie and Roger Haynos. Haynos had recently impressed coaches by landing a triple Axel at the National Development Camp, The New York Times reported.

A heartbroken husband has revealed the moment he realized his wife was on the doomed American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, DC.

An American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter. Credit: Handout / Getty

American Airlines Flight 5342 carrying 64 passengers collided with an army Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers, as it approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday (January 29).

The catastrophic impact, which is the deadliest US air disaster since 2001, sent both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River around 9PM local time.

During a press conference the following day, President Donald Trump confirmed that there were no survivors from either aircraft.

According to Sky News, rescue crews had recovered 40 bodies from the river, leaving 27 people still unaccounted for.

President Donald Trump confirmed that there were no survivors from either aircraft. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Among those who tragically died was Asra Hussain, who had been returning home from a work trip in Kansas.

Asra’s husband, Hamaad Raza, had been waiting for her at Reagan National Airport when he received what would be her final message, which read: “We’re landing in 20 minutes.”

But those 20 minutes passed, and she never walked through the terminal doors. Instead, her distraught partner watched as emergency vehicles sped past him toward the Potomac River.

“I was waiting and I started seeing a bunch of EMS vehicles speeding past me, like way too many than normal,” he told NBC 4 Washington.

As panic set in, he tried texting his wife again – but the messages weren’t going through. When he finally reached Terminal 2, he saw hundreds of emergency workers swarming the area.

Desperate for answers, he turned to social media. “I show up to the airport, and my wife’s not responding, and I look on Twitter and I see that it’s her flight,” he said.

Raza and Hussain met in college in Indiana and had only been married for two years.

The devastated man opened up about what his late wife meant to him, telling the outlet: “She went above and beyond and then took a giant leap over that when it came to doing things for other people, for me, for her parents, for my parents,” adding: “She was the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

It’s been a day and the tragic reality still hadn’t sunk in. “It just, feels crazy that it happened to us, to be honest. I mean, it’s like you see these things happen in the news, you see them happen in other countries,” he said.

Now, instead of planning their future together, Raza is planning his wife’s funeral. “Life is short. Hug your loved ones,” he told viewers.

“Tell them you love them when they’re getting on a flight. Check up on them. Text your family when you land,” Raza added.

Officials have said 64 people were on board the plane, with another three soldiers in the helicopter. Credit: Kayla Bartkowski / Getty

Investigators are still piecing together what went wrong, but early reports suggest the helicopter was flying too high – about 400 feet – when it crossed paths with the descending airliner, the New York Post reported.

Per CNN, The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the probe into the collision, revealed that the plane’s flight data and voice recorders, known as black boxes, have been recovered.

While officials have yet to pinpoint an official cause, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn’t hold back when addressing the tragedy.

“Absolutely preventable,” he said on Thursday, agreeing with President Trump that “it looks like it should have been prevented,” per GMA.

Emily Willis’ family has taken legal action against a Malibu rehab center after the adult star was left “permanently disabled” after seeking treatment.

Emily Willis’ family has filed a lawsuit against a Miami rehab center. Credit: Unique Nicole / Getty

The 25-year-old, who joined the industry in 2018, remains in a semi-conscious state following a cardiac arrest at the facility in early 2024.

Her family has filed a lawsuit against Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The court filing brings forth serious accusations, including “abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence, and fraudulent business practices”.

Willis’ journey to recovery took a devastating turn after she checked into the rehab center on January 27, 2024, seeking help for a severe ketamine addiction.

For a year, she had reportedly been consuming “five to six grams daily” of the dangerous drug, leading to debilitating side effects such as urinary incontinence and night terrors.

Court documents cited by the Daily Star revealed that Willis had previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and PTSD, and was already on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication.

Surprisingly, drug tests upon her admission showed no ketamine or other substances in her system, and she continued to test clean in the following days, despite her “rapidly failing health,” which raised further questions about the circumstances surrounding her cardiac arrest.

Willis remains in a semi-conscious state following a cardiac arrest at the facility in early 2024. Credit: Albert L. Ortega / Getty

The lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of Willis’s decline within the facility.

It claims she soon became “disheveled, frail, and disoriented” and struggled to walk. She was also reportedly “barely eating, not showering or getting dressed” and “suffered from aches, tremors, spasms, weakness, appeared to be in pain, and experienced vaginal pain”.

James A. Morris Jr. from Morris Law Firm, representing Emily and her guardian Yesenia Lara Cooper, stated: “Eventually she grew so dehydrated that a nurse could not measure her blood pressure.

“By this time her acute medical distress had been recorded and yet they left the decision to go to an urgent care up to a patient who was suffering incredible pain and could not care for her own well-being. There is no excuse for their failure to obtain medical and psychological care,” he added.

According to the filing, Willis was discovered unconscious by a nurse practitioner on February 4, 2024. Paramedics performed CPR on her for 30 to 40 minutes, finally restoring a heartbeat. However, the prolonged lack of oxygen to her brain left her comatose.

While Willis has since regained consciousness and can track objects with her eyes, she remains unable to move or speak and is currently in a care home in Utah.

“Had the staff followed standard medical protocols, Emily would have had the opportunity to regain control of her life,” Morris said. “No patient should ever be subjected to such a horrendous breakdown in clinical care. Her health was ignored until it was too late, and now her life is forever changed.”

Following the tragedy that saw 67 people lose their lives in a horrific plane crash, the father of a passenger onboard has paid tribute to his son.

American Airlines flight 5342 was heading into land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29 when it tragically struck a military Black Hawk helicopter.

The devastating incident has claimed 67 lives. Credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/ U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images

An immediate rescue operation was launched, but sadly this changed to a recovery mission after authorities declared that the 64 people on the plane, and three on the helicopter were likely to be dead.

Among those onboard was Spencer Lane, a rising star from the Skating Club of Boston believed to be 16 years old.

“Spencer, in the best way possible, was a crazy kid,” said the club’s CEO, Doug Zeghibe.

“Highly talented, has not been skating that long, and has been rocketing to the top of the sport. Very fun, very cerebral.”

His mother, Christine Lane, was also on the flight, per the New York Post.

Spencer Lane died in the incident. Credit: Instagram/Spencer Lane

Lane, who was traveling alongside several members of the figure skating community – including former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov – posted a final message on social media before his flight.

Around 7:00PM that evening, he shared a photo on Instagram with the caption “ICT -> DCA,” referencing Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

With the crash marking the first major commercial airline disaster in the U.S. since 2009, Lane’s father, Douglas Lane, has spoken out about his son’s loss.

Lane was an up an coming figure skating star. Credit: spence.rlane/Instagram

“Whether he was in his home club in Boston, [Spencer] was just loved by everyone,” Douglas told WPRI. “From adults running the club to smaller skaters, to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all adored him.”

In a statement, he described his son as “a force of nature.”

“You simply could not stop him if he decided he wanted to do something,” Douglas wrote.

“There is no better example of this than his remarkable skating journey, which we are heartbroken to see end too soon. He truly loved it, and his ascent from basic Learn to Skate classes to U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Team in just a few short years was unprecedented.”

Douglas also expressed gratitude for the support of the skating community. “We are so grateful that his last week was filled with joy and surrounded by his beloved Skating Club of Boston and the U.S. Figure Skating family.”

Remembering his wife, Christie, Douglas described her as someone who “exuded creativity throughout her life.”

“She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo,” he said. “She was also a lover of animals, and we lost track of how many dogs she helped place in loving adoptive homes.”