Pilot's heartbreaking final words as he boarded doomed Washington DC flight
Jonathan Campos, an American Airlines pilot who was looking forward to a family cruise next week, conveyed his excitement in his final conversation before boarding the plane that crashed in Washington DC. His last moments were shared by his uncle, John Lane, from his Brooklyn residence.
Recounting Jonathan's passion for aviation, Lane mentioned how the 34 year old had been 'living his dream' as a pilot and reminisced about his nephew playing with toy planes as a child. The crash, a tragic incident involving an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, marks the most severe aviation disaster in the US in nearly 25 years, leaving 67 dead including over a dozen figure skaters.
Investigators have cautiously refrained from conjecturing on the cause as they sift through the wreckage and have recovered more than 40 bodies so far. Recalling Mr Campos' final words, Mr Lane expressed his despair, "He was such a good kid," he told the Mail.
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"I spoke to him as he was boarding the plane. We spoke for 10 minutes. I can't believe it. He sounded really happy. He was looking forward to going on a cruise next week on the Icon of the Seas, the cruise ship. Ten family members were going to fly to Florida to take the trip with him. It was going to be a big celebration."
The FAA has declared the airspace over the Potomac River and near Reagan National as a no-fly zone for most helicopters in the wake of the crash, to ensure safety. Exceptions are made for medical emergencies, active law enforcement, air defence, and Marine One, the presidential helicopter, reports the Mirror.
These restrictions are likely to remain in place until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its preliminary report, expected within 30 days. Due to the crash and ongoing recovery efforts, two out of three main runways at the airport are currently closed.
Terry Liercke, vice president and manager at Reagan National Airport, revealed that 100 flights were cancelled on Friday. The runways are shut to prevent aircraft from flying over the crash site during take-off or landing.
Liercke anticipates they will stay closed for approximately a week, but this will be reassessed as the recovery operation progresses.