DC plane crash victim and Kansas City Chiefs superfan planned return home for family Super Bowl party
The family and friends of one of the 67 victims killed in the American Airlines and Army helicopter collision in Washington, D.C., was a Kansas City Chiefs superfan with plans to watch the Super Bowl with his family.
"He was a HUGE chiefs fan so he would want us to watch the Super Bowl game and root for the Chiefs. He was looking forward to that game!" Kristen Miller-Zahn, the sister of Dustin Miller, wrote in a tribute on a GoFundMe page.
Dustin Miller, 43, an IT professional from El Dorado, Kansas, was among the 67 victims who died when American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., in the evening hours of Jan. 29.
Miller's family said he was on the doomed flight from Wichita to D.C., on the way to Rochester, New York, on a work trip.
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"As his mother was dropping him off at Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport in Wichita, he said he wanted to be sure to make it back home in time watch the Chiefs play in the Superbowl," the post continued. "He even purchased a plane ticket for his brother Jon to fly in to Kansas from Arizona so they could all watch the game at home with their mom and dad."
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Shortly before takeoff, Miller's family said, he texted his boss and spoke with a friend, describing the celebratory mood among the crew and fellow passengers since it was the last flight of the day.
Miller also mentioned "how cool it was that US and Russian figure skaters were on board," Audra Rogers, a close family friend, wrote on the tribute page.
"He was looking forward to rooting on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Superbowl. Now his extended family plans to gather along with friends, classmates, coworkers and members of the community to celebrate his life, and ask for all that wish to honor Dustin to help cheer on the Chiefs in his honor."
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles meet in Sunday's Super Bowl. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and on FOX.
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Miller's boss, Jack Herklotz, also added a tribute, calling Miller a "friend and great person who happened to be an excellent IT guy."
"He could figure out pretty much anything and I could always count on him to 'just take care of it.' He was a great mentor to his coworkers who counted on him to teach them complicated systems and help them with a tough problem. He was very funny and brought that humor to work, which made him a pleasure to be around." Herklotz wrote.
Miller's sister said her brother "would be so moved by the outpouring of love and support from people right now."
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"He loved us, he would want us all to love each other and focus on what's important, family. My heart goes out to every family member of this tragedy, it does hurt so bad."
Sixty-four people, including four crew members, were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, and three soldiers were on the Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk that came from Fort Belvoir in Virginia when the aircraft collided.
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Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said they hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days, though a full investigation could take at least a year.
Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. Original article source: DC plane crash victim and Kansas City Chiefs superfan planned return home for family Super Bowl party
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