ALEXANDRIA, VA-A somber crowd gathered in the cold at Rivergate Park for a candlelight vigil this evening. They gathered to honor and remember the lives lost in last week’s crash over Reagan National Airport. The accident, a midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet claimed 67 lives. The crew of three aboard the helicopter were conducting a military training exercise. American Airlines Flight 5342 carried 60 passengers, many young skaters returning from a development program in Witchita, KS, hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. Two pilots and two flight attendants were also onboard.
For the past week, the accident site along a stretch of the Potomac River has teamed with workers who have been working diligently to find bodies and remove the wreckage. The collision split the plane (making its approach to land ) in two and put the helicopter upside down in the water. As of this morning, multiple reports say all 67 bodies have been recovered.
The DCA crash is the first major airline crash since Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in Buffalo, NY, in 2009. There were no survivors on that plane, which also injured people on the ground when it stalled during landing.
A report in The Washington Post on Jan. 31 says the helicopter crew received two warnings about the plane before the crash. Aviation experts told the paper that the crew “had more than enough time to take action to avoid the plane.” It adds “the crew may have may have seen something else — such as another aircraft in the area — and not the American Airlines flight flagged twice by the air traffic controller.” Another report says the control tower was understaffed when the accident occurred.
All the names of those onboard Flight 5342 have not been released, but families have permitted the media to share some stories about their loved ones. The Army has identified the Black Hawk crew: Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Heara, 28; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39; and Capt. Rebbeca M. Lobach, 28.
Congressman Don Beyer came to the remembrance and thanked the first responders.
“During times of loss, we try to make sense of tragedy. But it doesn’t really make any sense. It never makes sense,” he said. Therefore, Beyer continued, we must “live vitaly, abundantly, joyfully even, and full of gratitude for the light and the love of those we once shared.”
Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Police Chief Tarrick McGuire were some of the city officials in attendence. Sen. Tim Kaine quoted from Psalm 90 during his remarks.
“As we come together tonight, what has been on my heart is that even though it is hard to find the words to describe the unimaginable,” the mayor told the crowd,”even though it is hard to find answers, and even though it is sometimes hard to find ways to push past the grief. What is not hard is to look around and see a community around us. In every momnet since this horrific tragedy, I think we’ve been able to see neighbors and friends and folks coming together with one question, which is how do I help?
Sen. Adam Ebbin, who couldn’t attend, sent The Zebra a statement: “”Our Commonwealth, and people around the country, grieve for this tremendous loss and I would ask that we all take this moment to think of the victims, their friends, and their families.”
In announcing the vigil yesterday, an email from the Friends of Don Beyer offered mental health support for those directly and indirectly affected by the tragedy. Free and confidential help is available 24/7 by dialing or texting 9-8-8. For more information, review this list of resources on the congressman’s website.
