Alexandria Unveils Memorial for 67 Victims of Potomac River Plane Crash

It is our hope that even on the worst day, anytime you sit on these benches and stare at the water, you feel that very spirit wrapping around you again, reminding you that in their memory, they bring comfort and blessing.

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins

Audrey Patel stands beside the memorial erected at Rivergate City Park on the Old Town waterfront. Her husband Vikesh died in the crash when she was just two weeks pregnant with their child. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Beneath the steady, low roar of commercial airplanes tracking their familiar path from Reagan National Airport—an eerie, inescapable reminder of the disaster—a heavy, reverent silence fell over Rivergate City Park. Late yesterday afternoon June 1, early evening shadows lengthened across the Potomac River as several hundred people gathered at the waterfront in northeast Old Town to dedicate a permanent sanctuary to the 67 lives lost on a frigid night sixteen months ago.

On January 29, 2025, an American Airlines jet en route from Wichita, Kansas collided midair with a military helicopter just miles from the runway. Both aircraft plunged into the dark waters of the Potomac, killing all 64 people on Flight 5342 and three crew members aboard the US Army Black Hawk helicopter. It stands as the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.

Yesterday at 5:30 pm, the community reclaimed that riverfront.

The new memorial features 67 newly planted trees—one for each passenger, crew member, and service member lost. The crowd included dozens of grieving family members, several dozen commercial pilots in uniform, and the original local first responders. They were joined by regional leaders, Alexandria city councilmembers and state legislators, including Senator Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, and Delegates Charniele Herring and R. Kirk McPike.

Members of the Alexandria City Council, state lawmakers, and dignitaries stand quietly at attention during the memorial. Front row, left to right: second, Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill, State Senator Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, newly minted City Councilwoman Sandy Marks. In white blouse and red skirt, Alexandria Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, next to her City Councilman Canek Aguirre. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press 

Alexandria City Manager James F. Parajon served as the evening’s emcee, the river swaying softly beside him. “We recognize that no memorial and no passage of time can erase your profound loss,” Parajon consoled the families. “We hope, however, that this place may offer reflection and comfort to you and your families.”

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins highlighted the intentional design of the living memorial.

 Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins delivers remarks. Off to the right, second from left: Alexandria City Manager James F. Parajon. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press  

“Behind me are several trees,” Gaskins noted. “One of those trees is a red oak, and the red oak is meant to symbolize the resolve and the determination of our first responders and military members. It’s also to represent the strength and the resilience that is in each of you. There’s another tree called a redbud, and the redbud is going to grow in a way that has vibrant, passionate colors to symbolize the life, the vision, the creativity, and the passion in each of your loved ones.”

Gaskins revealed details from her private conversations with families before the ceremony began.

“I had a chance to learn about Tom, his smile, and the joy he got from planning trips and adventures with his wife,” Gaskins shared. “I had a chance to learn about Sam. And his tattoos, but also the way his face lit up when he was talking about his fiancée. I had an opportunity to meet Wendy’s dad, and I learned about Wendy’s woo and her ability to win others over and the smile that she carried every time she walks into a room. It is our hope that even on the worst day, any time you sit on these benches and stare at the water, you feel that very spirit wrapping around you again, reminding you that in their memory they bring comfort and blessing.”

The audience pauses for 67 seconds of silence, one second for each life lost in the crash. Front row left to right: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer L. Homendy, US Representative Don Beyer, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Audrey Patel, whose husband Vikesh was on that doomed flight when she was just two weeks pregnant with their first child. Behind Beyer are State Delegates Charniele Herring and R. Kirk McPike. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press  

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy brought a sharp reminder of the ongoing battle for aviation safety.

Tonight, we also once again demand action,” Homendy emphasized. “We can’t afford a single day’s delay. Not one more day without action, not one more moment of preventable risk. Not one more accident, not one more tragedy, not one more grieving family. Not one.”

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer L. Homendy, stops to ponder the memorial plaque. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press   

The emotional centerpiece of the evening belonged to Arlington resident Audrey Patel, whose husband, Vikesh Patel was a passenger on the doomed flight. Patel was just two weeks pregnant when she received the shattering news of the plane crash. As she walked to the podium, the infant watched from the second row, held tightly by family.

As Patel began to speak, she paused to press play on her phone, filling the park with the voice of her late husband via a saved happy birthday voicemail from their early dating days. She thanked the 1,700 first responders and recovery professionals. Then, she shared an extraordinary encounter.

“Whether it was by coincidence or by design, about a year after the accident, I met one of the divers who had spent countless hours at the crash site,” Patel told the quiet crowd. “A diver who had found a wedding ring. When I asked if it happened to be inscribed with a silly nickname, we realized that he was the one who had found Vic’s ring. It was such a gift to have the opportunity to let him know how much it means to me to hold that symbol of our love in my hand.”

Almost half the passengers on board that doomed flight were members of the figure skating community.

U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-8th), who attended alongside other regional dignitaries, recalled the shock of the disaster in an exclusive interview with The Zebra.

“It’s just the incredible tragedy of the families, the extraordinary loss,” Beyer reflected. “When you first hear about it, you don’t know any of them. It’s later that you meet Audrey, realize she was already pregnant with Vik’s child, or the parents of Sam, the co-pilot. And you realize what an incredible loss it is for them.”

US Congressman Don Beyer pauses before the newly erected memorial. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press 

Beyer noted that the ripple effects of the crash touched every corner of the community. “I talked to the grandparents of two of the ice skaters,” Beyer added. “The parents had very sincere Olympic hopes for their children. Any emotions I have pale in comparison to those who lost a loved one.”

The ceremony concluded as the sun dipped below the horizon. The crowd observed exactly 67 seconds of silence—one tick of the clock for every life taken—before joining together in a communal prayer.

The memorial plaque is dedicated to the 67 victims of the midair crash. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press  

Onlookers gather to pay their respects to the victims of the American Airlines crash. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press   

Left to right: Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill, Alexandria Deputy City Managers Alethea Predeoux and Yon Lambert. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press