WASHINGTON: Hama­ad Raza was waiting at Washington’s Reagan National Airport for his wife when he saw a flurry of activity and rescue teams rushing towards the Potomac river.

Moments later, he learned that the American Airlines passenger jet his wife was on board had collided with a military helicopter while landing.

Raza said that his 26-year-old wife was on board the flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, which collided with a military helicopter shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday night.

“My wife texted me that she was landing in 20 minutes,” Raza told CBS News. “I am just praying someone is pulling her out of the river right now.”

Raza said the plane was close to landing when his wife regained reception and was able to send him a message just moments before the crash.

He then shared his messages with a reporter, who later described the exchange as “one of the most heart-breaking interviews of my professional career”.

“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,” he said.

Raza explained that his wife had been travelling to Wichita for work, but had always felt uneasy about flying.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2025