A woman who was killed in the American Airlines plane crash changed her flight for a heartbreaking reason.
American Airlines flight 5342 was coming into land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it struck a military operated Black Hawk helicopter.
The plane had 64 people onboard, while the helicopter had three – and all 67 have tragically been presumed dead.
The plane plunged into the Potomac River and authorities continue to conduct recovery operations to reunite the bodies of the deceased with their family.
Among those on board was Elizabeth Keys, a Washington-based attorney.
Keys graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2020 and worked as an attorney for Wilkinson Stekloff.
In a statement to ABC News, her mother said: “She loved deeply and was deeply loved. Liz was a warm, generous woman. She was so fun – and funny.
Liz had a sharp wit and appreciated it in others. Gatherings were always better when Liz was there; she was filled with light and joy. Liz was a dear friend to so many, offering her best self to them all.”
“Elizabeth was strong and fearless – she embraced life at full speed,” her mom added.
“Liz was always surrounded by friends on her ski trips out West, where she described skiing as ‘flying,’ and frequently visited her favorite place, Hawaii, to hike and relax on the beach. Every weekend was full: Liz and David especially loved hosting their friends around their fire pit at their home in DC.”
She had initially been scheduled on a later flight, but made the decision to alter her travel times.
Keys made the decision so she could get home early to go on a date with her long-term boyfriend David Seidman in celebration of her birthday.
Also onboard the plane was Spencer Lane, an up and coming figure skater, believed to be 16 years old.
His mother, Christine Lane, was also on the flight, per the New York Post.
Lane’s father, Douglas Lane, has spoken out about losing his wife and son in the tragedy.
“Whether he was in his home club in Boston, [Spencer] was just loved by everyone,” Douglas told WPRI. “From adults running the club to smaller skaters, to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all adored him.”
In a statement, Douglas described his son as “a force of nature.”
“You simply could not stop him if he decided he wanted to do something,” Douglas wrote.
“There is no better example of this than his remarkable skating journey, which we are heartbroken to see end too soon. He truly loved it, and his ascent from basic Learn to Skate classes to U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Team in just a few short years was unprecedented.”
Douglas also expressed gratitude for the support of the skating community. “We are so grateful that his last week was filled with joy and surrounded by his beloved Skating Club of Boston and the U.S. Figure Skating family.”
Remembering his wife, Christie, Douglas described her as someone who “exuded creativity throughout her life.”
“She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo,” he said. “She was also a lover of animals, and we lost track of how many dogs she helped place in loving adoptive homes.”
You can read more about the victims of the tragedy here.
Our thoughts continue to be with all those involved and their loved ones.
