A young woman sent her husband a haunting final text shortly before dying in the Washington DC plane crash.
Asra Hussain, 26, messaged her husband Hamaad Raza, 25, to say they were ‘landing in 20 minutes’ as American Eagle Flight 5342 approached Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.
Mr Raza told on Thursday how he sent several replies while trying to contact his wife of two years, but she didn’t receive them.
He said: ‘She texted me that they were landing in 20 minutes. The rest of my texts didn’t get delivered and that’s when I realised that something might be up.’
The accountant added Ms Hussain had travelled to Wichita, Kansas, for work but had never felt comfortable flying. As rescuers tried to find survivors, he told US broadcaster WUSA9: ‘I’m just praying that somebody’s pulling her out of the river right now, as we speak. That’s all I can pray for, I’m just praying to God.’
Championship figure skaters from the US and Russia were also among the 64 victims on the flight.
HAUNTING FINAL TEXT
They were on their way to Washington after attending the US National Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
The Skating Club of Boston said six members, including two 16-year-olds and their mothers, were on board.
Club spokesman Doug Zeghibe said: ‘Six is a horrific number for us. This will have long-reaching impacts for our skating community.’
The teenagers were on Thursday night named as Spencer Lane and Jinna Hahn and their mothers as Christine Lane and Jin Hahn.
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Former figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, who were instructors at the club, were also killed.
The married couple won the world championship in pairs in 1994. Their son Maxim, 23, who competed for the US, is feared to have been with his parents according to Russian news agencies. Governing body US Figure Skating said: ‘We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.’
‘DEVASTATED BY THIS UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY’
A Kremlin spokesman added: ‘Bad news from Washington today. We regret and offer condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash.’
Wichita mayor Lily Wu said at least one family from her city had been affected by the accident, adding: ‘Right now we are just praying and grieving with everyone in Wichita and Washington DC.’
The crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the collision has been named as Ryan O’Hara, from Georgia. He was one of three army soldiers on an annual proficiency training flight which resulted in the deadliest US plane crash since 2009. Mr O’Hara leaves behind a wife and one-yearold son. The reserve officers’ training corp at Parkview High School in Gwinnett County said he had previously been a ‘vital member’.
