The crash between the PSA Airlines aircraft owned by American Airlines and the Black Hawk US Army helicopter is one of the deadliest US air crashes in recent years.
Andy Beyer’s wife and 12-year-old daughter, who survived cancer at four months old, were among the victims.
The plane and the helicopter collided mid-air on Wednesday, January 29, shortly before 9 p.m. The tragedy stuck as the American Airlines Flight 5342 was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C.
64 passengers, among which four members of the crew, who were onboard the plane, and three military members who were flying with the helicopter are all believed to be dead.
Emergency services and officials are doing all in their power to retrieve all of the bodies, but the harsh weather conditions and the icy waters of the Potomac River, where the aircraft plummeted add to the difficulty of the mission.
Speaking to ABC News, Beyer revealed that his daughter, Brielle, and her mother, Justyna, were onboard at the time of the crash.
His daughter was a member of the skating group who was returning from U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas.
“She was just such a fighter in everything she did,” the devastated father said of his young daughter. “She just lived life to the fullest with everything.”
Sharing her skiing accomplishments, Beyer added, “She was so proud of herself in figure skating for the progress she had made … Making that team was one of her life goals. And she achieved it. And she was just so, so proud of herself.”
It was when he and his 6-year-old son went to the airport to pick up Brielle and Justyna that he realized something was horribly wrong.
“When it was time for the plane to land, they hadn’t landed [and] we couldn’t get text messages through,” he explained.
He did see the emergency services, but it wasn’t until a friend of his, who was a controller, who confirmed the crash that he became aware of the severity of the situation.
“I didn’t have a lot of hope unfortunately, we had a good cry about it right then and there and then we had to go in with the family waiting room and everything before we, hours later, got any official word of what had fully happened,” Beyer told ABC News.
Those close to the family have set up a GoFundMe page to help the grieving family.
“In a tragic turn of events, we are heartbroken to share the devastating loss of 12-year-old Brielle and her beloved mother, Justyna, who both tragically died in the recent Washington, DC, plane crash,” the GoFundMe states.
“Their absence leaves an irreplaceable void in the hearts of family and friends, and we are reaching out to our community for support during this incredibly difficult time.”
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