Latest news with #AmericanEagleFlight5342
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Family of pilot killed in DCA plane crash supports plan to reform the FAA
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) – The family of a pilot killed in the DCA plane crash said they support a plan to reform the Federal Aviation Administration. 'What we want to make sure here is … nobody else has to go through this ever again,' said Tim Lilley, father of 28-year-old Sam Lilley. Sam Lilley was a co-pilot of American Eagle Flight 5342. He and 66 other people were killed when a military helicopter collided with the plane, sending both into the Potomac River. 'Sam was a phenomenal person. He had a very magnetic personality. I can't imagine that anyone who ever met him felt they had enough time with him, that's really the enduring feeling our entire family has,' said Sherri Lilley, Sam's mother. Federal Aviation Administration to increase oversight, evaluate arrival rates at DCA following deadly midair collision Both Tim and Sherri Lilley attended a House Appropriations Committee hearing Wednesday, where Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy testified about his plans to reform the Federal Aviation Administration. 'Everyone in America flies; this is not partisan,' said Duffy. Duffy believes Congress is receptive to his plan, which includes replacing antiquated telecommunications with new fiber, wireless and satellite technologies; replacing 618 radars; and addressing runway safety, among other things. The price tag to do all this is still unclear, but estimates are in the billions. 'I think (members of Congress) all realized how old and antiquated the system is. It's starting to show its cracks. They want a plan they can get behind and they want to build it. I think we've laid that out of them,' said Duffy. New York Times report reveals critical mistakes made ahead of deadly DCA midair collision; aviation litigator weighs in The Lilley family is on board with the changes. 'This is what we need to upgrade this whole system and what Duffy is doing, it's not going to happen overnight. We're going to get it done in a really quick manner,' said Tim Lilley. The Lilley family said it's now their mission to get this plan passed. '(Sam) was very strong and resilient. He had great character, and this is really how we honor him,' said Sherri Lilley. 'If we did not follow through on this mission, we feel like we'd be letting him down. We feel like everything we're doing is motivated by his memory.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the trans Black Hawk pilot suing after being falsely accused of role in deadly D.C. crash
Jo Ellis, the transgender Army Black Hawk pilot falsely said to be flying the helicopter that collided with a passenger plane over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., in January, is suing one of the right-wing commentators who made the allegation. Ellis filed a defamation suit against Matthew S. Wallace Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Colorado. She is represented by Meg Phelan, legal counsel with the Equality Legal Action Fund. 'I had a unique opportunity to hold someone accountable,' Ellis tells The Advocate. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. A Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers aboard collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 about half a mile from Washington Reagan National Airport on the evening of January 29, and both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River. The passenger plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. Everyone on both aircraft was killed. Several posters on social media claimed that Ellis was the Black Hawk pilot and that she intentionally caused the crash, somehow because of her gender identity. She then posted a Facebook video to prove she was alive and had not been the pilot. She has been a member of the Virginia Army National Guard since 2009, and the Department of Defense noted that no one from the Virginia guard unit was in the helicopter. Ellis's suit says that Wallace, a resident of Littleton, Colorado, who has more than 2.3 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), 'decided to exploit this devastation for clicks and money.' 'Because Defendant is a notorious transphobe who knew an anti-transgender narrative would draw significant attention, he settled on Plaintiff — a transgender Army Black Hawk pilot, who recently learned she might be discharged from the military due to a new Executive Order, as the perfect target,' the lawsuit states. Once he had Plaintiff in his sights, Defendant concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign against Plaintiff perpetrated on social media.' 'Upon information and belief, Defendant has monetized his primary X profile, @MattWallace888, through his large follower count and engagement. Defendant also maintains three less popular X profiles — @JackWallace888, @MattWallace008, and @Final_StandDoge,' the document continues. 'Defendant used his prominent X platform to monetize a false narrative that Plaintiff was not only one of the Army pilots involved in the mid-air collision, but also that she engaged in 'another trans terror attack' and intentionally caused the mid-air collision due to her 'depression' and 'Gender Dysphoria.'' He also shared a picture of her. One of his posts received more than 4.6 million views. It has become common for right-wing extremists to blame trans people, without evidence, for mass shootings and other crimes, supposedly showing that being trans is a mental illness. And shortly after the D.C.-area crash, Donald Trump blamed it, also without evidence, on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, which his administration claims results in discrimination against white people. The military eventually identified the three service members killed in the crash, and in their photographs, all appear to be white. Wallace posts anti-Semitic rhetoric as well as spewing hatred of trans people and LGBTQ+ people in general, Ellis and Phelan say. He negatively posted about Ellis converting to Judaism, according to Ellis and her lawyer. Other posts include his false claims that President Joe Biden fell asleep while meeting with Hawaii fire survivors in 2023, that Biden either had a body double or was being held in a White House bunker during his presidency, and that Biden's son Hunter was seen sniffing cocaine at the White House. All those claims have been debunked by Jo EllisCourtesy Jo Ellis After Ellis posted her 'proof of life' video on Facebook, Wallace created a correction post and then another that attempted 'to shift the blame for the original rumor naming Plaintiff away from himself to X user @FakeGayPolitics,' the suit says. He put up a screen shot of the @FakeGayPolitics post and said it ''seemed credible' because Plaintiff 'wrote an article calling out Trump's trans military ban only a few days ago,'' the suit goes on. 'Defendant further stated he disagreed with Plaintiff's views and intentionally misgendered her.' 'Defendant's claims are outright and unequivocal falsehoods,' the suit says. 'Plaintiff was not flying the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the mid-air collision with a regional jet operated by American Airlines on January 29, 2025. She did not write an article 'calling out' President Trump's trans military ban and she certainly did not engage in 'another trans terror attack.'' Ellis is currently continuing to serve in the military because of a court injunction against the trans ban. Ellis became at one point the second most trending topic on X, and more than 90,000 posts included her name and her picture, according to the suit. 'Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant's lies,' it says. 'Given her immediate notoriety and the fact that she is a transgender woman, she fears for the immediate safety of herself and her family on account of the hate inspired against her by Defendant's lies.' After Wallace and others claimed Ellis was the Black Hawk pilot, she began to be recognized in public, she tells The Advocate. 'I received a lot of hate, especially that week' immediately after the information spread, she says. 'It put me and my family at risk.' She hired private security and bought a gun. What she finds even worse is that the false narrative about her eclipsed the tragic story of the crash. 'It's a tragedy that Matt wanted to distract from with rumors about me,' she says, adding, 'I know people who know the victims on that helicopter. The Black Hawk community is very small.' 'We are trying to make this not about Jo but about that crash and what Matt Wallace did,' Phelan says. Ellis is seeking economic damages, similar to compensatory damages, as reimbursement for the expenses she incurred as a result of Wallace's postings, as well as exemplary, or punitive damages, which would require the proof that Wallace acted with actual malice — knowing that the information he shared was false. If she wins her suit, the amount will be determined in court. She plans to donate any money she receives to the families of the crash victims. Wallace does not appear to have commented publicly on the suit, although several media outlets have tried to contact him. Ellis knows that filing the suit will bring her additional scrutiny, but she says it's worth it: 'I believe in holding people accountable."
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Figure skating tributes dedicated to DC plane crash victims raise $1.3 million
A tearful tribute from the United States' most decorated figure skaters coupled with multiple fundraising efforts has garnered $1.3 million on behalf of the Washington, D.C., plane crash victims, organizers said Thursday. "Legacy on Ice," a figure skating tribute show that took place last month at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., honored the 67 lives lost in the fatal midair collision on Jan. 29 -- with nearly half of the passengers being members of the figure skating community. On Thursday, almost exactly nine weeks since the crash, Monumental Sports and Entertainment (MSE), which co-hosted the event with U.S. Figure Skating (USFS), announced a total of $1.3 million had been raised from the sold-out event and subsequent fundraising. "This is evidence of what good that can happen when people band together," MSE CEO Ted Leonsis said in a statement provided to ABC News, emphasizing the "herculean effort and generosity" of organizers and the Washington community. "The kids that were lost -- skating is what they loved to do, so it only felt right that that's how we remember them," two-time U.S. national champion Gracie Gold said in a video compilation of the "Legacy on Ice" event posted by Team USA on Friday. The midair crash between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle Flight 5342 above the Potomac River left no survivors and was the first major commercial crash since 2009. The incident was particularly poignant within the skating community given the sport's history with aviation tragedy -- in 1961, the entire U.S. national team died aboard Sabena Flight 548 while traveling to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. MORE:'Hearts are heavy': 14 members of figure skating community among victims of DC plane crash Last week, the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships took place in Boston, marking two months since the fatal crash in D.C. and 64 years since the 1961 tragedy. Pausing from the fierce competition, skaters and spectators took time to remember the victims. Maxim Naumov, 23, who lost both of his parents in the crash, received a one-minute standing ovation at a gala on Sunday that concluded the competition. "I don't have the strength or the passion or the drive or the dedication of one person anymore. It's three people," Naumov said in an interview with NBC News' Craig Melvin last week. He described his parents, 1994 Russian world champions and coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, as "superheroes." MORE: Figure skater who lost both parents in DC plane crash brings world crowd to its feet At last month's "Legacy on Ice" tribute, Naumov performed to his parents' favorite song in Russian, "The city that does not exist." He opened with choreography clasping each of his hands around the empty air on either side of him, symbolizing him reaching for his parents' hands that are no longer here. Naumov's performance concluded with him sobbing on his knees and repeatedly mouthing words, which he later explained was him saying in Russian "This is for you" and "Mom and Dad, I love you." During the World Figure Skating Championships, a remembrance memorial featured videos of the plane victims on the TD Arena jumbotron, and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu highlighted the six members lost from the Skating Club of Boston. Just a day after clinching his second consecutive world championship title, Ilia Malinin delivered an emotional tribute performance at the gala, in which he fought back tears and brought the audience to their feet. Known as the "Quad God" and the first skater to land a quadruple axel in competition, Malinin also performed at "Legacy on Ice" last month, closing out the show with an upbeat, motivating number titled "Hope." MORE: Figure skating's world championships are headed to Boston U.S. pairs champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov displayed photos of the Skating Club of Boston members, and two-time U.S. champion Amber Glenn sported a T-shirt that said, "Skate with their spirit." Efimova, Mitrofanov, and Glenn also performed at "Legacy on Ice," where they were accompanied by a cast of U.S. Figure Skating's top stars, past and present. Included in the lineup was 17-year-old Isabella Aparicio, who lost both her father, Luciano, and her 14-year-old brother, Franco, in the crash. Skating to a recording of her father playing "Canon in D" on the guitar, Aparicio fell to her knees at the conclusion of her routine, and the tear-ridden audience leapt to their feet in support of the skater. "Legacy on Ice" also honored the victims' final skating endeavor as they had been traveling home from a development camp that is hosted annually for the highest-performing youth skaters following the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The performers reenacted a skating skills class that is traditionally conducted at such camps, staging the exercise to Beyonce's "Halo." "Against the backdrop of this massive tragedy, this region has provided a light in showcasing its generosity and empathy for the victims, their families, and the heroic first responders," Leonsis said in a statement following the event. MORE: Olympic figure skaters to honor DC plane crash victims in tribute show According to MSE, donations will be distributed to USFS, the Greater Washington Community Foundation's "DCA Together Relief Fund," and the D.C. Fire & EMS Foundation, with each organization receiving approximately $425,000. USFS continues to collect donations from its own fundraiser, the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund, which benefits victim family members. Editor's note: The author of this story has been a member of U.S. Figure Skating since 2008. Figure skating tributes dedicated to DC plane crash victims raise $1.3 million originally appeared on
NBC News
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Figure skater whose parents died in DC plane crash says they changed their flight
Just days after placing fourth at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship, Maxim Naumov suffered an unimaginable loss. The skater's parents, former Olympians Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, died on Jan. 29 when a military Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines airplane over Washington, D.C. Sixty-seven people were killed in the midair collision, 28 of whom were members of the figure skating community. Naumov, 23, told "TODAY" co-anchor Craig Melvin that his parents changed flights before the tragic accident. 'My mom let me know that they're switching flights and that if I could pick them up,' Naumov said. 'My mom always texts me and calls me as soon as they land.' However, the call never came. American Eagle Flight 5342 was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 people aboard, while the Black Hawk Army chopper held three people. It was the first major accident involving a U.S. commercial airliner since 2009. Naumov's parents were Russian Olympians and world champions. After they retired from competition, they settled in the U.S. and became coaches while raising their only son. 'They were beautiful people. They were so incredibly kind,' Maxim Naumov said, sharing how he moves through the grief. 'The only way out is through. There's no other way. There are no options but to keep going. I don't have the strength or the passion or the drive, or the dedication of one person anymore. It's three people.' On March 2, he returned to the skating ring for the first time since his parents' death. His first performance was for the 'Legacy on Ice' event in Washington, D.C. It was a moving tribute to all the lives that were lost, and after, filled with emotions, he fell to his knees. 'I skated truly, like, from my heart, like, genuinely. I wasn't thinking about the steps, I wasn't thinking about the jumps or the spins or anything like that,' he said. 'I just let my body go, and I've never felt that before.' He added, 'I just had such an overwhelming emotion of love in that moment.' Naumov has yet to make a final decision about what his next steps are in the sport. He is currently an alternate for the U.S. national team and has taken over the youth academy program that his parents founded at the Skating Club of Boston. 'I would not be the person I am today without them. Their love — and their care, and attention to detail was evident in each stage of my life,' he said. 'They were always like superheroes to me.'
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elite figure skaters perform in Wilmette to honor victims of DC plane crash
WILMETTE, Ill. – A memorial event to honor the victims killed in the deadly mid-air collision in Washington, D.C. brought together elite figure skating athletes from around the country. 'I think we're all just taking the time to really skate for those really talented athletes and just take the extra couple minutes to perform for them,' Brooke Gewalt, a Team USA Figure Skater, said. On Saturday, the emotional performances, which included singles, pairs, and synchronized skating, were held at the Wilmette Centennial Ice Rinks, honoring the 28 members of the U.S. Figure Skating community who lost their lives on American Eagle Flight 5342. Among those killed were four coaches and 11 talented figure skaters returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and training camp in Wichita, Kansas. Most, if not all, of the athletes who came together for Saturday's event were also there in late January. Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion holds memorial for 28 members of figure skating community lost in DC plane crash 'It's horrific really, isn't it, that we're having to do this. But it's an absolute honor to be asked to be involved,' Chris Howarth, the event's commentator, and a former British Olympian, said. The loss of their friends and coaches they came to know through the sport, was something many said words can't fully portray. 'It's just a whole other level to the tragedy and you don't realize how raw something is until you live it yourself,' Ethan Peal said. On Saturday, Ethan and sister Elliana Peal performed an emotional tribute to 'Rise Up' by Andra Day. The Team USA ice dancers and junior silver medalists grew up in the Chicago area before moving to Nashville, TN, where they currently train. 'It's great coming together to rise up from this horrible tragedy and to find peace and community within,' Elliana said. Alexandr 'Sasha' Kirsanov, a beloved figure skating coach, was among the victims killed. The Peal siblings knew Sasha personally and saw him for the last time in Wichita. 'He was such a friendly and kind soul and gave us advice. To just go from talking to someone and then a few days later, they're gone, it's awful,' Ethan said. Gewalt said she knew one of the victims, Sean Kay, who was killed in the crash along with his mother. Many of the athletes she connected with on social media and said she looked up to them. Family of DC plane crash victim files $250M claims against FAA, Army 'Though it's a competitive sport, I feel like we're all friends and we all know each other, and we're all supportive of each other, and we're all there for each other too,' Gewalt said. Along the ice Saturday were 28 candles – one for each victim in the U.S. Figure Skating community – and a solemn reminder as performers expressed their emotions and message through their artistry. 'Figure skating is a real community, and there's a real sense of loss, and this is just an opportunity for people to get together and be as one and try and make things better, though you can't, but try and help where you can,' Howarth said. The proceeds from Saturday's event will go directly to the families impacted. A silent auction was also held. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
