The crew on American Airlines Flight 5342 was based in Charlotte Douglas International Airport, WSOC-TV Channel 9 reported. Among them were Captain Jonathan Campos, First Officer Samuel Lilley, and flight attendants Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder.
The plane was also carrying 60 passengers from Wichita, Kansas, when it crashed over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29. All 67 people aboard the PSA Airlines-operated plane and Army Black Hawk helicopter are feared dead, authorities said.
Campos, 34, was originally from New York and grew up in Florida, the Daily Mail reported. He trained at the Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach, FL, earning certification as a flight instructor in 2017 and a commercial airline pilot in 2018.
Lilley, 29, grew up near Savannah, Georgia, and graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2018. He became a commercial airline pilot in 2022 and was engaged at the time of the crash.
Lilley's father Timothy was at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey when the crash happened. He was an Army helicopter pilot for about 20 years and now works as a private jet pilot.
Timothy Lilley told Fox 5 Atlanta he believes the plane followed proper procedures and the helicopter likely caused the crash.
"I used to fly in and out of the Pentagon regularly, and I can tell you if you are flying on the route over the Potomac and wearing night vision goggles, it's going to be very hard to see that plane," he said. "If you're not wearing the goggles, then you might have a chance.
"From what I can see, those guys turned right into the jet. I think the PSA jet was doing everything right. The Army pilot made a grave error. It hurts me because those are my brothers and now my son is dead."
Epstein, 52, worked for PSA for five years, founded Oak Barrel Travel in Charlotte, and previously was a senior sales consultant at Camping World.
His LinkedIn page said he had more than 25 years of experience in sales, corporate training, and leadership development.
Epstein's ex-wife Debi confirmed his death in a Facebook post.
"Please pray for Ian and our family as we travel to DC," she wrote. "We will update when plans are made."
Elder leaves behind a husband and two children, according to WSOC-TV. Her brother-in-law described her as "full of life," noting her deep love for her family, faith, and travel.
At least 28 bodies had been recovered as of Thursday, Jan. 30, and officials said they didn't believe there were any survivors. More than 300 responders worked overnight in frigid temperatures and icy waters as efforts shifted from rescue to recovery.
US Figure Skating confirmed that several athletes, coaches, and family members returning from a national development camp in Wichita were also on the plane. Russian figure skaters and citizens were among the victims, according to Kremlin officials.
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Several former Loudoun County, Virginia, students were also presumed dead.
"Many other Loudoun families have also been impacted, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those grieving in the wake of this tragedy," superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence wrote in a letter.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
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