Doomed Flight Manned by Charlotte Crew
Five Charlotte connections have been made to the deadly mid-air collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River Wednesday, killing 67 people.
Two flight attendants, Danasia Elder and Ian Epstein, were from the Charlotte area. Elder was married with two young children and Epstein was a father, stepfather, and husband.
Flight captain Jonathan Campos, 34, had worked for PSA Airlines—a subsidiary of American Airlines—for eight years. While based in Charlotte, his home was in Florida.
Samuel Lilley, 28, the flight’s first officer, was engaged to be married this fall. He was also from the Charlotte area. Coincidentally, his father is a former Black Hawk pilot who had flown the exact route the helicopter involved was flying that day.
Passenger Wendy Shaffer of Charlotte, wife and mother of two young boys, was also on board.
|