Two Indian-origin passengers among 67 killed in Washington mid-air crash | India News
At least two individuals of Indian-origin were among 67 fatalities in a collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.
Vikesh Patel, employed at GE Aerospace, and Asra Hussain Raza, a DC-based consultant, were passengers aboard American Airlines flight 5342 when it collided with the military aircraft on Wednesday night.
Patel, residing in Greater Cincinnati, had recently taken a new position at the company as an MRO Transformational Leader with nationwide responsibilities, as listed on his professional profile. Larry Culp, GE Aerospace’s chairman and CEO, confirmed Patel’s presence on the flight in a statement to FOX19 on Thursday night. “This is a tragedy not only for our industry but also for the GE Aerospace team as one of our cherished colleagues, Vikesh Patel, was onboard the flight,” Culp said. “Our hearts are with his family and all those impacted by this horrific accident.”
During his ten-plus years at GE Aerospace, Patel served in various positions, including Engine Assembly Engineer, Production Planner, Senior Operations Manager, Lean Transformation Coach and Site Leader before his recent role change, according to PTI report.
Meanwhile, the second victim 26-year old Asra Raza was confirmed to be onboard by her father-in-law Dr Hashim Raza in a statement to CNN.
Born to Indian immigrant parents, Raza completed her studies with honours at Indiana University in 2020 and married her university sweetheart in August 2023, according to Hashim.
As a consultant based in Washington, DC, Raza made fortnightly trips to Wichita for a hospital improvement project. She regularly contacted her father-in-law after his emergency room shifts to ensure his safe journey home. “She went out of her way for everybody,” her father-in-law remarked.
Before the accident, Raza messaged her husband about her imminent arrival, but circumstances changed drastically by the time he reached the airport. “She said, ‘We’re landing in 20 minutes,'” Hamaad Raza recounted. This proved to be their final communication. “I was waiting and I started seeing a bunch of EMS vehicles speeding past me, like way too many than normal, and two, my texts weren’t going through,” Hamaad told NBCwashington. “I mean, it’s like you see these things happen in the news, you see them happen in other countries. And then, I show up at the airport, and my wife’s not responding, and I look on Twitter and I see that it’s her flight,” he added.
He also mentioned receiving support from family and friends who share in his unexpected loss.
This incident stands as America’s worst aviation disaster since 2001.
