A man recounts the heart-stopping moment when his wife was on a plane that collided with a helicopter belonging to the United States military.
The incident took place on the evening of Wednesday, January 29, when a Black Hawk helicopter and a Bombardier CRJ700, which was operating as American Airlines Flight 5432, collided in the middle of the air.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the collision occurred at approximately nine o’clock in the evening local time as the passenger plane was getting closer to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The plane, which had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, eventually went down in the Potomac River after it had begun its journey. It was stated by NBC 4 Washington that the plane “split in half” and is currently sunk seven feet below the surface of the ocean.
The Involvement of the Helicopter
It has been verified by the Pentagon that the passenger airliner was involved in a collision with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter that was carrying three United States servicemen. The search for any survivors in the waters is still ongoing, and rescue operations are currently being carried out by emergency authorities.
According to reports from the BBC, there have been a total of eighteen bodies retrieved from the Potomac River thus far.
The Desperate Waiting of a Husband
Hamaad Raza, the husband of one of the passengers on board the flight, revealed in a devastating interview that he became anxious when his text messages to his wife were not being sent. He explained that he was concerned about the situation. In the moments leading up to the catastrophe, his wife, who was one of the sixty-four passengers on board the aircraft, had sent him a text message informing him that they were about to touch down.
The words “I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now” were spoken by Raza, who was visibly overcome with sorrow. “That is the only thing I can hope for.”
It was informed to Raza that his wife had sent him a text message stating that the plane will arrive in twenty minutes. After he realized that his responses were not being processed, he recognized that something was wrong.
In addition, Raza stated, “That’s when I realized something might be up,” recalling the terrible moment in which he dreaded the worst possible outcome.
Training Flight Carried Out by the Black Hawk Helicopter
As stated by officials from the United States, the Army Black Hawk chopper that was involved was engaged in a training mission. It was confirmed by a military spokesperson that the helicopter in question belonged to Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, which is headquartered at Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir. At the time of the incident, the helicopter was engaged in a routine training mission.
In a statement that was provided to Fox News, the spokesperson added, “We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available.”
The officials are continuing their search operations while also seeking to piece together the events that led up to the tragedy. However, the recovery operation continues to be a top priority, even though the identities of the victims have not yet been made public under official circumstances.
