Pakistani woman among victims of Washington airplane crash

WASHINGTON: Asra Hussain Raza, a 26-year-old Pakistani woman, was among the victims of the tragic mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a US military Black Hawk helicopter.

The accident, which occurred near the Potomac River close to Reagan Washington National Airport, claimed the lives of all 67 people on board.

Asra was returning to Washington, DC, from Wichita, Kansas, after a work trip when the disaster struck.

Just minutes before the crash, she sent a text to her husband, Hamaad Raza, informing him that she would land in 20 minutes. Hamaad, who was waiting at the airport, never received another message.

Asra, a corporate finance graduate from Indiana University, had completed her master’s in public health from Columbia University.

She was passionate about improving healthcare and had recently joined a consulting firm in Washington, hoping to one-day work for the government in public health.

Her husband, Hamaad, a 25-year-old accountant at Ernst & Young, is devastated. The couple had been married for two years and were planning to start a family.

Hamaad’s father, Dr. Hashim Raza, a renowned doctor in Missouri originally from Karachi, told Reuters that Asra was a loving and compassionate person. He recalled her talent for cooking and her dedication to helping others.

Investigators find black boxes after deadly Washington plane crash

The crash occurred on Wednesday when American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier jet carrying 64 passengers, collided with a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three US soldiers. Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River, leaving no survivors.

The incident, the first major air disaster in the US since 2009, has raised concerns about air traffic safety near Washington, DC.

Officials confirmed there was no communication failure between the aircraft. President Trump linked the crash to diversity hiring practices in aviation, triggering political controversy.