- Watch video of new angles of Wednesday night’s midair collision near Washington, DC
Two women who worked together at a Washington DC law firm, Sarah Lee Best, and her colleague Elizabeth Keys, have been identified as victims of the tragic crash between an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter.
Vanderbilt University and Penn Law graduate Sarah, and her colleague Elizabeth Keys, both 33, were returning home from Kansas after completing a deposition.
Ms Keys’ mother tragically revealed it was her birthday on the day of the fateful crash.
American Airlines flight 5342 was moments from touching down when it collided with a Black Hawk Army helicopter.
It immediately went up in flames and both aircrafts crashed into the Potomac River below. Authorities say there are no survivors.
Sixty passengers were on board the flight, as well as four crew members. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter.
So far, 40 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage. Authorities will return on Friday morning to continue the search.
Ms Keys’ mother told WKRC her daughter was ‘a valedictorian and Varsity sailor’ who graduated from Georgetown University Law Center.
‘She loved deeply and was deeply loved. Liz was a warm, generous woman. She was so fun – and funny! Liz had a sharp wit and appreciated it in others. Gatherings were always better when Liz was there; she was filled with light and joy.
‘Her hugs were wonderful. Elizabeth was strong and fearless – she embraced life at full speed.’
She is survived by her partner David Seidman, who her mother described as ‘the love of her life’, and their Yorkie, Tucker.
‘Words cannot express how deeply Elizabeth, my Bitsy, will be missed. We are filled with unbearable sorrow and despair at our loss,’ she said.
Keys and Best worked together at Wilkinson Stekloff litigation in the Washington DC office.
Founder Beth Wilkinson said: ‘We are heartbroken by this terrible tragedy. Liz and Sarah were cherished members of our firm – wonderful attorneys, colleagues, and friends.
‘Beyond being an excellent lawyer, Liz brought fearlessness, humor, and sharp wit to work every day, no matter the setting or circumstances.
‘Sarah joined us just last fall and quickly energized us all with her boundless curiosity, kindness, and intelligence.
American Airlines flight 5342 was moments from touching down when it collided with a Black Hawk Army helicopter
‘It is hard to imagine the firm without them. We are keeping them in our memories and their families in our thoughts and prayers.’
On Thursday evening, rescue crews digging through the wreckage managed to recover two black boxes from the waters of the Potomac River.
This will be of monumental assistance to authorities as they investigate what exactly happened in the moments leading to disaster.
A preliminary report has said that air traffic control staffing at the airport was ‘not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.
Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023 – well below the target of 30 – according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.
At least 40 bodies have since been pulled from the Potomac River following extensive recovery missions by emergency teams.
The bodies of all four flight crew members – including one who was mere months away from a promotion and wedding – were also recovered from the debris on Thursday.
The pilots of the American Eagle jet were Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed.
And both flight attendants who were on that tragic flight have been revealed as Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder.
In an situation eerily similar to what happened on Wednesday night, a Republic Airways flight had to abort landing at the airport on Tuesday after a helicopter appeared near its flight path.
Flightradar data for the flight shows the plane had been travelling from Windsor Locks in Connecticut to the city and had to dramatically gain altitude shortly after descending on Reagan National Airport. It eventually landed safely.
Two videos obtained by CNN show new angles of Wednesday night’s midair collision near Washington, DC. In the videos, both aircraft can clearly be seen flying toward each other, then exploding and falling into the river. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Click here to watch the videos.
Credit :MailOnline and CNN
