Charlotte's close ties to Wednesday's fatal plane crash
Five of the 68 lives lost had connections to Charlotte, including 4 crew members; hours before the crash, PSA Airlines announced it would move its headquarters to Charlotte
The following article appeared in the Jan. 31, 2025 edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
Charlotte’s connection to deadly Washington, D.C. plane crash runs deep, with CLT-based flight crew and passenger aboard and airline’s decision to relocate to Charlotte
The victims of Wednesday’s plane crash with ties to Charlotte included (l-r) flight attendant Danasia Elder, flight attendant Ian Epstein, passenger Wendy Shaffer, pilot Jonathan Campos and pilot Samuel Lilley (Photos from Facebook/GoFundMe)
by Cristina Bolling and Ted Reed
Hours after PSA Airlines announced on Wednesday it would move its headquarters to Charlotte, the carrier was involved in the worst U.S. aviation disaster in 23 years.
Wednesday night’s fatal collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport took the lives of 67 people.
All 60 passengers aboard the airplane and the four Charlotte-based crew members died in the crash. At least one passenger lived in Charlotte. The three people aboard the helicopter also died.
The flight was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group. PSA announced Wednesday afternoon that it would move its headquarters to Charlotte. The collision occurred just before 9 p.m.
It was the deadliest crash since Nov. 12, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed after takeoff from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, killing all 260 people aboard and five on the ground.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, who flew to Washington to console family members of the victims, appeared Thursday afternoon in a video statement.
Charlotte connections: Charlotte’s ties became clear throughout the day Thursday as family and friends revealed the identities of the deceased and airline officials released more information on the crash.
The two flight attendants working on the commercial flight were from the Charlotte area, according to family and friends who spoke about them to local media outlets and paid tribute to them on social media.
They were identified as:
Danasia Elder, who was married with two young children, had trained with PSA as a flight attendant last year. “She was the sweetest human,” posted a friend who worked and trained alongside her.
Ian Epstein, a father, stepfather and husband who enjoyed joking around with passengers and making their flights memorable and fun, his ex-wife told the Charlotte Observer. In a statement, his family said he was “full of life.”
The two pilots were also based in Charlotte, although at least one lived elsewhere. They were:
Samuel Lilley, 28, who grew up in Georgia and was engaged to be married. He followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming a pilot, his sister told the Observer.
Jonathan Campos, 34, who was the flight’s captain and worked for PSA airlines for 8 years, his aunt told The New York Times. Although he was part of a Charlotte-based crew, his home was in Florida, she told the newspaper.
At least one passenger aboard the airplane was from Charlotte:
Wendy Shaffer, a wife and mother of two young boys, “was the heart of her family,” according to a GoFundMe online fundraiser set up Thursday for the family. “She was a radiant soul, a devoted wife to Nathan, and an incredible mother to her two beautiful boys ages 3 and 1. Her love, kindness, and unwavering spirit touched everyone who knew her, and her absence leaves a void that can never be filled,” the GoFundMe read.
PSA announcement preceded the crash: Just hours before the crash on Wednesday, PSA announced that it would move its headquarters to Charlotte from Ohio and planned to bring 400 jobs to Charlotte.
The airline took the name of Pacific Southwest Airlines, which was known as PSA, and was also known for the smile painted on the front of its planes. In 1988, PSA merged with USAirways, which operated a hub in Charlotte. US Airways merged with American in 2013.
PSA is now one of several airlines that flies under the American Eagle name.
In a news release on Wednesday, PSA said that the move means that North Carolina is gaining a “hometown airline” as well as job opportunities.
It said it has invited 350 of its 900 Dayton employees to move to Charlotte and plans to locate its headquarters at 2709 Water Ridge Parkway, which is in the Water Ridge Office Park off Tyvola Road not far from the airport.
Cristina Bolling is managing editor of The Ledger: cristina@cltledger.com. Ted Reed covers the airport and airlines for The Ledger. He is a former Miami Herald and Charlotte Observer reporter.
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