Latest news with #Airlines5342
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
WSU president shares letter remembering lives lost in D.C. plane crash
Video above: Prayer vigil held in Wichita on Jan. 30, 2025 WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Nearly two weeks ago, a passenger plane en route from Wichita to Washington, D.C., collided with a military helicopter mid-air and landed in the Potomac River. There were 64 people aboard the plane and three aboard the helicopter. There were no survivors. Wichita State University's president, Rick Muma, shared a letter to Facebook on Tuesday, remembering those who had an impact on WSU: The crash of American Airlines 5342 has had a devastating and profound effect on many people and communities around the world. Here in Wichita – and at Wichita State University – it has sadly hit too close to home as we have learned over the past two weeks about individuals with ties to WSU who were on the flight to Washington, D.C. We deeply mourn their loss, along with those from Wichita and all involved in this tragic crash. 𝗞𝗶𝗮𝗵 𝗗𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 – Kiah was a 2017 graduate of Wichita State, having graduated from the Barton School of Business and Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with degrees in international business, economics and Spanish. She was a recipient of the prestigious Clay Barton Scholarship, co-founded the Shocker Support Locker, and had an unwavering commitment to building more equitable communities. Kiah was a White House policy intern, working under First Lady Michelle Obama. After graduating from WSU, she went on to graduate from Harvard Law School, becoming an accomplished civil rights attorney. She was preparing to become a law professor at Howard University. Kiah leaves an incredible legacy and will never be forgotten. 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗶 (𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗱) 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 – Lori was born in Topeka, Kansas. She attended Wichita State and graduated in 1990. In 1998, Lori married Robert 'Bob' Schrock, and they lived in Kiowa, Kansas. Together they embodied the entrepreneurial spirit of Shocker Nation as president and vice president of Premium Grain in Kiowa, where they were recognized for their innovative farming practices. In 2014, they also established Freedom Gates Boys Ranch, an alternative to foster care in Hazelton. Lori and Bob were on the plane together to Washington, D.C. They leave behind their daughter, Ellie Schrock. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 – Lindsey was a member of WSU's former Biomedical Engineering Department Advisory Board. She was professor and department chair of biology at Butler Community College. As a higher education community, we share in the loss of one of our own and extend our heartfelt condolences to the Butler Community College family. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗶 – Christopher and Melissa were colleagues at Moody's Investors Service in New York City. On the day of the crash, I, along with several university officials, had the immense pleasure of spending the day with them as part of the university's regular credit rating update. Chris has worked on the university's credit rating for several years. Both were incredibly kind and accomplished people with bright futures ahead of them. Their sudden loss is truly hard to comprehend, and we hold their families, colleagues and loved ones in our thoughts. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀 – Brian worked at Deloitte and was visiting the Deloitte Smart Factory @ Wichita on our Innovation Campus. Brian made frequent trips to Wichita and had become part of the Wichita community. Brian didn't travel alone. He was with a colleague from Deloitte. In addition, our innovation partner Dassault Systemes' had a valued employee in town that day visiting our National Institute for Aviation Research. Because neither individual has been publicly identified, and out of respect for their loved ones, I am keeping their names private. We consider all our innovation partners to be part of the university family, and we join in mourning these exceptional people. As we reflect on this tragedy, our hearts are with the families, friends and colleagues of those we lost. Their impact on Wichita State, our community and beyond will not be forgotten.' Wichita State University President Rick Muma Other Kansans aboard Flight 5342 included Grace Maxwell, Pete 'PJ' Diaz, and Dustin Miller. To learn more about the plane crash, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
U.S. Figure Skater Spencer Lane Eerily Posted Photo from Inside Plane Before Dying in D.C. Crash
Spencer Lane shared one last image of his trip to Wichita, Kansas, hours before the American Airlines plane on which he was flying crashed in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The rising young figure skater posted a photo on his Instagram Stories on Wednesday, Jan. 29 of the view from his seat over the wing of the PSA Airlines-operated American Eagle CRJ-700. 'ICT->DCA,' Lane, 16, wrote over his picture, referring to Wichita and D.C.'s airport codes. The image showed the plane still on the tarmac in Kansas. Lane was one of six members of The Skating Club of Boston who died in the crash. He was traveling with his mother, Christine Lane, 49. Skater Jinna Han, 13, who was traveling with her mother, Jin Han, was also among the victims, as were coaches and 1994 World Champions Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova. Related: 14 U.S. Figure Skaters Among Those Killed in American Airlines Plane Crash, Including at Least 2 Teenagers A total of 14 figure skaters and their coaches and families were among the 60 passengers and four crew members onboard American Airlines 5342, which collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter at approximately 9 p.m. local time. The athletes were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and a national developmental camp held in Wichita. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. On Instagram just hours earlier, Lane shared his excitement about participating at the camp. 'i am so happy to have qualified for national development camp earlier in november, it has been my goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing,' the Barrington, R.I. native wrote alongside a photo of himself with other participants. 'I learned so much new information that i can apply to my everyday life, and met so many amazing people!' On TikTok Wednesday, for his thousands of followers, he shared a video of himself gliding through the air and executing a triple jump, with the caption 'End of camp triple toeloop.' Related: Olympian Nancy Kerrigan Breaks Down in Tears on Live TV at Boston Skating Club Where 6 Crash Victims Belonged Now, Lane is being remembered for both his talent on the ice — and for his personality. Douglas Lane remembered his late son and wife in an interview with CBS affiliate WPRI-TV. The Lanes adopted Spencer and his younger brother Milo from South Korea. 'In his home club in Boston, he was just loved by everyone from the adults running the club to the smallest skaters to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics,' Douglas told the station, describing his son as a 'force of nature.' 'They just adored him.' Spencer attended Barrington High School his freshman year before he left the school in order to dedicate more time to skating. In his post on Instagram Wednesday, the teen thanked those who had supported his dreams and for "always pushing me to be the best i can be.' Of his time at the camp, he added: 'It was such an amazing experience." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mapped: How American Airlines plane collided with Black Hawk army helicopter near Washington DC airport
An American Airlines 5342 operating as a PSA Airlines jet collided with a US Army Sikorsky Blackhawk helicopter as both flew close to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC at around 9 p.m. local time Wednesday. All 67 people on board both aircraft are feared dead, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said Wednesday night. So far, 28 bodies have been recovered from the river of the 67 people believed to be dead, Chief John Donnelly of Washington's fire and emergency service said in a Thursday morning press conference. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the press conference that the incident was 'preventable' when asked by a reporter. "Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,' Duffy said, adding that passengers should be "assured" that flying is safe. All flights in and out of Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport are grounded until at least 11 a.m. Thursday. None of the helicopter's three crew were senior Army officials, authorities said. The Wichita flight to Reagan National Airport has only been running for a year and politicians fought hard to get it going. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran announced the American Airlines direct flight from Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), Wichita, to Washington Reagan National Airport, DC, would make travel 'faster and more affordable' for Kansas residents in July 2023. Video footage from the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with separate aircraft appearing to conjoin in a fireball. 'Mutual aid from neighboring agencies were called to assist, and takeoffs and landings at the airport were halted for the remainder of the evening. We will continue to post information as it becomes available. 'We are not expecting flights to resume until at least 11 a.m. today, January 30. Please check back for updates, and contact your airline directly for schedule updates.' According to provisional data from FlightAware, American Eagle Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, Kansas at around 17:22 CST and was in the air for two hours and 35 minutes, with an estimated arrival time in Washington DC for 20:57 EST. But the flight tracking data showed the flight's status result as 'unknown' and according to the visuals, the plane stopped midair on the east side of the Potomac River, roughly adjacent to Blue Pains in DC. What we now know is that the plane collided with a US military Blackhawk Helicopter that was traveling southbound with three people onboard. A fleet of divers combed the Potomac River in search of survivors throughout the night and continued as the sun came up on Thursday. Washington Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly revealed the challenges they faced. 'The challenges are access. The water that we're operating in is about 8 feet deep,' Washington Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said. 'There is wind, there is pieces of ice out there. So it's just dangerous and hard to work in.' He continued: 'And because there's not a lot of lights, you're out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody. 'Divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in.' Ronald Reagan National Airport is located less than four miles from the White House. Flight 5343 was coming into land on Runway 33 when disaster struck. Flying into D.C. over the Potomac River, passengers can often get a glimpse of the famed Washington monuments from their window. President Donald Trump has been fully briefed on the tragedy and on Wednesday night called it 'a terrible night.' He also speculated about what caused the crash on Truth Social. 'The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. 'It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. 'This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!' Washington's Mayor Muriel Bowser offered her thoughts and prayers for the victims in a statement on X: 'Tonight, as our first responders continue their efforts, we are sending our love and prayers to the families, loved ones, and communities who are experiencing loss during this terrible tragedy.' On Wednesday American Airlines released a statement that read: 'If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.' After the incident, Ronald Reagan Airport had a notice that read: 'Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday evening, emergency personnel at Reagan National Airport initiated their response to a crash between a passenger aircraft, identified by the FAA as American Eagle flight 5342, and a Sikorsky helicopter.'
