Several of the victims of the plane crash at Reagan National Airport were current students, parents, and staff of Fairfax County Public Schools and former students of Loudoun County Public Schools, according to statements from each school system.
At around 9 p.m. Wednesday, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with an Army helicopter above the Potomac River. All 64 people aboard the plane and the three soldiers aboard the helicopter are presumed dead.
The plane was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, and many passengers on board were returning from an ice skating competition and development camp. Though victims have not officially been released as of press time, FCPS and LCPS both shared that members of their communities were involved.
“We are devastated by the tragic news as we learn members of our FCPS community have lost their lives in the accident last night at Reagan National Airport,” FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid wrote in a statement.
“What we know at this time is that three of our FCPS students and six of our FCPS parents were lost, affecting multiple schools and departments here at FCPS. Two of the parents were current or former FCPS staff members. Multiplying the grief are the siblings, spouses, relatives, friends and colleagues who have lost loved ones,” Reid continued.
“This unimaginable loss has deeply affected our community, and with great sorrow, we have learned that multiple victims were former LCPS students. Many other Loudoun families have also been impacted, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those grieving in the wake of this tragedy,” said LCPS Superintendent Aaron Spence.
Both school systems said they have resources in place to provide support and counseling for those impacted by the tragedy.
LCPS students who need assistance processing the tragedy were directed to email [email protected] with contact information. Staff members also have access to an employee health assistance program, which provides 24/7 support.
In addition to the presence of counselors and other crisis teams, FCPS shared an online resource from the National Institute of Mental Health that can help parents talk with their children about traumatic events.
Feature image of Reagan National Airport, photo by Nate Hovee/stock.adobe.com
