The tragic mid-air collision between a Black Hawk Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet caused travel-related shockwaves throughout the nation on Thursday morning.
More than 60 were estimated to be killed in the crash, which happened just before 9 p.m. EST outside of the Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. The American Airlines flight, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, was moments away from landing.
As of Thursday morning, information regarding the victims was trickling out slowly, but it’s believed that several of the passengers were figure skaters returning from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Kansas.
The deadly collision prompted the closure of Reagan National on Wednesday night, lasting up until 11 a.m. EST Thursday. All arriving and departing flights in between were either diverted to nearby airports, delayed or canceled.
That ripple effect was felt as far as Los Angeles. As of Thursday morning, at least four flights leaving LAX were canceled or delayed as a result of the collision.
Of course, those affected by the flight changes were sympathetic and understood that there were more important things than simply arriving at their destination on time.
“My thoughts and heart go out to the families,” said traveler Tim Aguayo. “I feel bad for them and it’s just tragic to hear.”
Aguayo was set to fly from LAX to Reagan on Thursday morning with his brother and father. He told KTLA’s Carlos Herrera that he didn’t know about the deadly crash until the morning.
Their flight was yet to be delayed as of Thursday morning, but American Airlines warned them that a delay could be possible, depending on the situation in Washington. Employees with the airline worked with passengers all morning to ensure that any changes to their travel plans could be accommodated.
Several passengers that Herrera spoke to said they weren’t very comfortable with flying in the wake of the crash. A recent study from MIT found that commercial flights were exceedingly safe, easily the safest mode of transportation in the world, but recent events left an obvious and understandable impression.
Aguayo said the situation didn’t change his thoughts on air travel. He said he’s always “apprehensive” about flying, but “can’t waste [his] time being scared.
