A father who lost his wife and 12-year-old daughter in the catastrophic American Airlines crash has shared the moment he first suspected something was wrong.
On the night of January 29, a PSA Airlines aircraft, a regional carrier owned by American Airlines, was making its final approach to Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., when it collided mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The aircraft, operating as Flight 5342, carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while three personnel were aboard the military helicopter.
The impact sent both aircraft spiraling down into the icy waters of the Potomac River. A massive recovery operation is still underway, but authorities fear all 64 people on the plane and three on the helicopter have perished.
Among the victims were 42-year-old Justyna Beyer and her 12-year-old daughter, Brielle, who had previously survived cancer. They were returning home to Washington, D.C., after participating in the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp.
Andy Beyer, who was waiting at the airport with the couple’s 6-year-old son to welcome them home, described the painful moment he realized something was wrong.
Speaking with ABC News, he recalled the pride his daughter felt about her achievements in figure skating. “She was such a fighter in everything she did,” he said, his voice filled with grief. “She just lived life to the fullest. She was so proud of herself for the progress she had made in figure skating. Making that team was one of her life goals, and she achieved it.”
As Beyer drove to the airport, eager to reunite with his wife and daughter, he noticed the plane had not yet landed at its expected time. His unease deepened when his text messages to Justyna went unanswered. Then, as he approached the airport, he saw flashing emergency lights and a heavy presence of first responders.
It was an air traffic controller friend who delivered the devastating confirmation. “I didn’t have a lot of hope, unfortunately,” Beyer admitted. “We had a good cry about it right then and there. Then we had to go into the family waiting room, where we waited for hours before we got any official word about what had happened.”
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched by a family friend to support the grieving Beyer family. The fundraiser’s description conveys the immense sorrow surrounding their loss. “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, D.C., plane crash,” it reads. “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.”
The shock of the accident continues to send ripples through the community, leaving loved ones grappling with unimaginable grief as they seek comfort and closure.