A devastating US plane crash in the United States claimed the lives of 67 passengers, 4 crew members, and 3 military personnel when a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter.
Pakistani woman Asri Hussain was also among those killed in the accident.
Asri Hussain’s husband Hammad Raza told the media that when his wife’s plane approached Reagan National Airport at 8 pm on January 30, he sent a text message that the plane was about to land.
Hammad replied immediately, but unfortunately, the message could not be received, which worried him. Later, this fear turned into reality, and that message from Asri Hussain proved to be the last message of his life.
Asri Hussain was aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which was hit by a military Black Hawk helicopter. She was returning to Missouri from Wichita, Kansas, but the trip turned into a tragic accident.
Background of Asri Hussain and her husband
Asri Hussain, 26, and her husband Hammad Raza, 25, graduated from Indiana University. Hammad is an accountant at Ernst & Young, a well-known financial firm.
According to their close friend, Asri and Hammad married two years ago. Asri did not like air travel and always found it uncomfortable.
Hammad’s father, Dr. Hashim Raza, is from Karachi. He is a graduate of Dow University and currently serves at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. He is considered one of the most distinguished doctors in the state of Missouri.
Shortcomings revealed in the investigation:
The initial investigation revealed serious shortcomings in the airport’s air traffic control. According to the report, the control tower was understaffed, and only one controller was on duty instead of two controllers.
The passenger plane’s pilot was instructed to change the runway at the last minute, which he accepted, but this decision led to the accident.
The controller instructed the helicopter pilot to wait until the passenger plane passed, but the pilot did not respond. Moments later, the two collided in midair.
The passenger plane’s radio transponder had been turned off 30 seconds before the accident, and the plane was over the Potomac River.
All 67 people on board, including a Pakistani woman, died in the horrific collision between the Washington plane and the helicopter.
Questions are being raised about the performance of the airport administration after the accident, as another plane had to be prevented from landing at the same airport a day earlier.
Search for wreckage and bodies
After the crash, the passenger plane broke into three pieces, the wreckage of which was found in the shallow waters of the Potomac River. So far, not all the bodies have been recovered, and rescue teams are busy searching.
The tragedy has caused deep shock not only to Asri Hussain’s family but also to those who knew him around the world. A full investigation into the causes of the crash is underway, and questions are being raised to prevent such incidents in the future.
