Sam Lilley, Danasia Elder, Wendy Shaffer, Danasia Elder, and Ian Epstein were all from Charlotte, NC and they all were killed in the massive January 29, 2025 explosive crash between a American Airlines commercial plane and a Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington D.C. Follow Charlotte Alerts on Instagram.
The crash was at 10 p.m. on January 29th involving a American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 commercial plane and a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk Army helicopter.
Sam Lilley was a pilot on the American Airlines plane, but in the past he was in the Army and flew helicopters. Danasia Elder, Wendy Shaffer, and Ian Epstein were flight attendants for American Airlines.
An American Airlines employee was killed on the job at Charlotte Douglas International Airport
The Army helicopter ignored commands and flew right into the plane, setting off a massive collision and fiery blaze in the night sky. Both aircrafts were blown to pieces and landed in the cold Potomac River.
There were no survivors. The helicopter was flown by 3 military members. Ian was a former Camping World sales employee in Concord, NC. Wendy Shaffer was a wife and mother to several children.
Danasia Elder leaves behind a husband and two children. Yet Donald Trump blamed Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as the cause for the crash during a press conference. Trump known for racist rhetoric, said that DEI during the Biden presidency caused the FAA to hire people with intellectual capability issues and deficiencies.
