Howard University mourns law professor killed in DC plane crash

Yahoo

31-01-2025

WASHINGTON - Howard University law professor Kiah Duggins has been identified as one of the victims of the devastating plane collision near Reagan National Airport, university officials confirmed Thursday night.
What they're saying
"It is with profound sadness that the Howard University community and the Howard University School of Law have learned of the passing of Professor Kiah Duggins, who was among those lost in the midair plane collision at Reagan National Airport," Howard University President Ben Vinson III said in a statement. "We ask for privacy and respect for Professor Duggins' family, students, and colleagues during this difficult time."
Duggins, a former Miss Butler County pageant winner in 2014 and 2015, had deep ties to Kansas.
Larry Strong, her former pageant director, reflected on her accomplishments and impact.
"It is with a heavy heart that the Miss Augusta and Miss Butler County organization just learned that Kiah Duggins, Miss Butler County 2014 and 2015, was a passenger in the plane that crashed last evening in Washington, D.C.," Strong said. "Kiah was a top 10 finalist in 2014 and 2015 at the Miss Kansas Pageant. She was preparing to be a law professor at Howard University in the fall. Keep her family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
What we know
Duggins previously worked as an attorney for the Civil Rights Corps. The nonprofit states that Duggins earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School where she served as the president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. She earned her bachelors' degrees from Wichita State University, completed a Fulbright grant in Taiwan, and is a proud alumna of Wichita Public Schools.
While working at the Civil Right Corps, Duggins litigated on behalf of movements challenging unconstitutional policing and money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. She also worked with the ACLU of Northern California and Neufeld, Scheck and Brustin LLP to challenge police misconduct and other harms of the criminal legal system before coming to CRC.
She studied prison industrial complex abolition and movement lawyering as a Law 4 Black Lives Fellow.
The backstory
Officials say an American Airlines flight carrying 64 people collided mid-air with a military helicopter Wednesday evening, resulting in a catastrophic explosion over the Potomac River. Search crews have recovered 28 bodies from the wreckage as recovery efforts continue.
The collision involved an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission and American Airlines Flight 5342, a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine aircraft. According to investigators, the passenger jet was traveling at approximately 140 miles per hour and had descended to an altitude of about 400 feet when it suddenly lost altitude and collided with the helicopter at around 300 feet.
Air traffic controllers, unaware of the impending disaster, were heard reacting in shock. "Did you see that?" one controller asked in recordings of air traffic communications.
American Airlines confirmed that Flight 5342 was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members at the time of the crash. The military helicopter had three soldiers on board. Authorities have confirmed that no survivors are expected from the crash.
Federal authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), continue their investigation into the cause of the collision, while search and recovery efforts remain active.
The crash has left the Howard University community and countless others mourning the loss of Duggins and the many lives lost in the tragedy.
The Source
The information in this story comes from Howard University, Larry Strong and FOX 5 reporting.