In recent years, one of the most fatal air accidents in the United States occurred when a Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the United States Army collided with a PSA Airlines aircraft that was owned by American Airlines.
One of the victims was Andy Beyer’s wife, as well as his daughter, who had been diagnosed with cancer at the age of four months and had survived it.
On Wednesday, January 29, just before 9 o’clock in the evening, the plane and the helicopter experienced a collision in the air. The catastrophe occurred while American Airlines Flight 5342 was getting closer to Ronald Reagan National Airport, which is located close to Washington, District of Columbia.
64 people, including four members of the crew who were onboard the plane, as well as three members of the military who were flying with the helicopter, are believed to have perished in the crash.
The harsh weather conditions and the icy waters of the Potomac River, where the aircraft crashed, add to the difficulty of the mission. Emergency services and officials are doing everything in their power to retrieve all of the bodies, but the mission is becoming increasingly difficult.
As part of his interview with ABC News, Beyer disclosed that his daughter Brielle and her mother, Justyna, were both passengers on the aircraft at the time of the collision.
The skating group that was returning from the United States Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas, included his daughter as a member of the group they were traveling with.
“She was just such a fighter in everything she did,” the heartbroken father remarked of his young daughter on the occasion of her passing. To put it simply, she lived her life to the fullest, taking everything in.
Beyer continued by saying, “She was so proud of herself in figure skating for the progress she had made… as she shared her accomplishments in skiing.” Being a member of that team was one of her life’s ambitions. It was accomplished by her. In addition to that, she was incredibly proud of herself.
At the time that he and his son, who was six years old at the time, were on their way to the airport to pick up Brielle and Justyna, he became aware that something was extremely wrong.
According to his explanation, “When it was time for the plane to land, they hadn’t landed, and we were unable to get text messages through.”
He did observe the emergency services, but it wasn’t until a buddy of his who was a controller confirmed the crash that he became aware of the gravity of the situation. He had been unaware of the circumstances until that point.
In an interview with ABC News, Beyer stated, “Unfortunately, I did not have a lot of hope. 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.”
To assist the family in their time of need, those who are close to the family have established a GoFundMe page.
“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 plane crash in Washington, DC,” the GoFundMe adds. “In a tragic turn of events, we are heartbroken to share the devastating loss of both of them.”
According to the statement, “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 extremely difficult time.”