DC Mid-Air Collision: 2 Indian Americans Killed
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC – Two Indian Americans, Asra Hussain Raza and Vikesh Patel, were among the 67 victims killed in the horrific mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., on January 29. The collision, involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, occurred as the aircraft were approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. The tragic incident is the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. since 2001.
Asra Hussain Raza, a 26-year-old Washington, D.C.-based consultant, was on the flight for a work trip related to hospital turnaround projects. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Raza was remembered by her father-in-law, Dr. Hashim Raza, as someone who always went above and beyond for others. “She was always someone who went out of her way for others,” he recalled, reflecting on how she would stay on late-night calls to keep him company during emergency room shifts.
Raza, a 2020 graduate of Indiana University with honors, had recently married her college sweetheart, Hamaad Raza, in August 2023. Her husband shared the devastating moment when he learned of the crash, revealing that she had texted him just 20 minutes before the flight’s scheduled landing. “By the time I got to the airport, my life had changed forever,” he said, recounting how emergency vehicles rushed past him as his texts to her went unanswered.
Vikesh Patel, a long-time employee at GE Aerospace, was also aboard the flight. Larry Culp, CEO of GE Aerospace, confirmed Patel’s death, expressing the company’s grief. “This is a tragedy not only for our industry but also for the GE Aerospace team,” Culp said in a statement.
Patel, who had recently transitioned to the role of MRO Transformational Leader, had worked for GE Aerospace for over a decade in various capacities, including as an engine assembly engineer, production planner, and senior operations manager. He was returning home after work related travel.
The outpouring on social media by fellow staffers and friends remembering and mourning Patel was immediate with many recalling his character and professionalism.
