The heartbroken husband whose spouse texted him that she was touchdown minutes earlier than her doomed American Airways flight collided with an Military helicopter revealed he came upon it was his spouse’s airplane via social media.
Hamaad Raza remembered his spouse, Asra Hussain, because the “kindest particular person I’ve ever met” who went “above and past” for others earlier than she was killed in the course of the collision in Washington, DC, on Wednesday evening.
“She went above and past after which took an enormous leap over that when it got here to doing issues for different individuals, for me, for her dad and mom, for my dad and mom,” Raza informed NBC 4 Washington.
The couple met whereas in school in Indiana and have been solely married for 2 years. Hussian was returning dwelling from enterprise in Wichita, Kan.
Raza acquired a textual content message from Hussain as he was heading to Reagan Nationwide Airport Wednesday evening to select her up.
“We’re touchdown in 20 minutes,” Hussain’s textual content learn.
Nevertheless, whereas ready for Hussain, Raza seen first responders racing towards the Potomac River.
“I used to be ready and I began seeing a bunch of EMS automobiles dashing previous me, like means too many than regular,” he informed the outlet.
Raza’s worries have been amplified when he realized the texts he despatched to his spouse “weren’t going via.”
He reached Terminal 2 on the DC airport and mentioned he witnessed a whole bunch of emergency employees across the airport responding to the collision.
Raza then went on social media to search for solutions.
“I present as much as the airport, and my spouse’s not responding, and I look on Twitter and I see that it’s her flight,” the grieving husband informed the outlet.
He informed WUSA that he was “praying” his spouse was secure and confirmed the undelivered messages on his telephone display screen.
A day later, he mentioned it was “loopy” to comprehend his spouse’s airplane was concerned within the deadly collision.
“It’s simply, feels loopy that it occurred to us, to be sincere,” he informed NBC 4 Washington.
“I imply, it’s such as you see these items occur within the information, you see them occur in different nations.”
Now, as he prepares to plan his spouse’s funeral, he mentioned the expertise has proven him how fragile life could be.
“Life is brief. Hug your family members.” Raza heartbreakingly mentioned.
“Inform them you like them after they’re getting on a flight. Check out them. Textual content your loved ones if you land.”
The crash, which killed all 64 individuals aboard the packed Flight 5342 from Wichita — plus three individuals on the chopper — is the deadliest US air catastrophe since 2001.
There are two flight paths within the space — one for helicopters and one other for airplanes — that converge close to Reagan Airport, in keeping with an official flight map.
The airplane route from Wichita to DC first began simply over a 12 months in the past, on Jan. 8, 2024.
The Black Hawk helicopter was apparently flying too excessive — at about 400 ft — when it collided with the American Airways jet, which was quickly descending after it was cleared for touchdown, in keeping with consultants.
Officers haven’t but provided a potential trigger for the crash.
Nevertheless, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mentioned Thursday that the tragedy was “completely” preventable.
Duffy, who was confirmed to his function only a day earlier than Wednesday evening’s crash, agreed with President Trump that it “seems prefer it ought to have been prevented.”
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