A young woman who sent her husband a heartbreaking final text just moments before perishing in the Washington D.C. plane crash has been identified as Asra Hussain, 26.
Shortly before the crash, Asra messaged her husband, Hamaad Raza, 25, saying, “We are landing in 20 minutes.” Tragically, it was the last message she would ever send. Hamaad, her husband of two years, later revealed that he had replied multiple times, but his texts were never delivered.
Mid-Air Collision Claims 67 Lives
Asra was among the 60 passengers killed when American Eagle Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 jet, collided with a Black Hawk helicopter conducting an Army training exercise.
The crash, which occurred just before 9 p.m. ET Wednesday, also claimed the lives of four crew members aboard the jet and three military personnel on the helicopter.
Heartbroken Husband’s Emotional Plea
Speaking to WUSA9 at Reagan National Airport, a devastated Hamaad Raza 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 realized something might be wrong.”
Choking back tears, he added, “I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now. That’s all I can hope for. I’m just praying to God.”
Family Mourns an Irreplaceable Loss
Hamaad’s father, Dr. Hashim Raza, a prominent doctor at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, confirmed the tragedy on social media.
“This is my 25-year-old son who lost his beautiful wife. We are going to D.C. to be with him. Hug your family. We are devastated. Our faith in God is unshakable.”
Hamaad, an accountant at Ernst & Young, and Asra, who had traveled to Wichita for work, both attended Indiana University, according to their social media profiles.
How the Deadly Collision Unfolded
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crash happened when the regional jet, nearing the end of its flight from Wichita, Kansas, was asked to land on a shorter runway at Reagan National Airport.
Flight data shows the pilots adjusting their approach, and air traffic controllers clearing the jet to land. Just seconds before impact, a controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. Moments later, a final radio call instructed, “PAT 25, pass behind the CRJ.”
There was no response. Seconds later, the aircraft collided.
The jet’s radio transponder stopped transmitting roughly 2,400 feet from the runway, above the middle of the Potomac River.
The WUSA9 reporter covering the incident described his interview with Hamaad Raza as “one of the most heartbreaking moments of my professional career.”
