Yahoo Lifestyle Husband Whose Wife Texted Him Minutes Before D.C. Plane Crash Reveals Moment He Realized That Was Her Flight
“Life is short. Hug your loved ones," said Hamaad Raza, whose wife was on American Airlines Flight 5342
Asra Hussain/Facebook
Asra HussainAsra Hussain was on American Airlines Flight 5342 on Jan. 29 when the jet collided with a U.S. Army helicopter in Washington, D.C.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, husband Hamaad Raza said he received a text from her just moments before the crash, saying they were due to land in 20 minutes
"Life is short," he said in an new interview, adding that it's important to tell your loved ones that "you love them when they're getting on a flight"
The husband of Asra Hussain, one of the victims of the D.C. plane crash, is remembering his wife after her life was cut short.
“She went above and beyond and then took a giant leap over that when it came to doing things for other people, for me, for her parents, for my parents,” Hamaad Raza told NBC affiliate WRC.
Hussain was one of the 64 people on board American Airlines Flight 5342. The flight, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Regan National Airport just before 9:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Authorities have repeatedly said they do not believe there were any survivors.
As people were waiting to hear about their loved ones immediately after the crash, Raza told CBS affiliate WUSA that his wife was on the plane — and that he'd received a text from her about 20 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land. But he said that his reply never got delivered.
“I’m just praying that somebody is pulling her out of the river right now as we speak,” Raza told WUSA then. "I'm just praying to God."
"She texted me that they were landing in 20 minutes," he said of the last time he spoke to her, adding that he "realized something might be up" when the "rest of my texts did not get delivered."
Speaking with WRC, Raza recalled seeing several EMS vehicles speeding past him as he was waiting at the airport.
“I mean, it’s like you see these things happen in the news, you see them happen in other countries,” he said. “And then, I show up to the airport, and my wife’s not responding, and I look on Twitter and I see that it’s her flight.”
Raza told the outlet that he and Hussain met in college. The couple, who lived together in D.C., got married married two years ago.
According to NBC affiliate WTHR, Hussain majored in health care policy at Indiana University.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"She was a beautiful woman, brilliant, always smiling, artistic, academically brilliant,” said Hashim Raza, Hussain’s father-in-law. “She was a really good person. I was honored to be her father-in-law for two years.”
Hashim also told CNN that Hussain was a consultant who commuted to Wichita twice a month for work, saying, “She went out of her way for everybody.”
Imam Ahmed Alamine, the director at Indianapolis Muslim Community Association, said Hussain was an active member of the group, adding that he officiated her wedding to Hamaad Raza in August 2022.
“Their marriage was amazing,” Alamine recalled to CW affiliate WISH,” and I think both of them being an amazing personality, and their families were very supportive. The fact that their families were amazing. They were two amazing human beings. They made the marriage so easy and successful.”
Alamine said he is still in a state of shock about what happened to Hussain amid the disaster.
“It’s difficult and it’s hard and it’s devastating and surreal, honestly,” he told WISH.
As he navigates his grief, Raza told WRC that he is waiting for a phone call about when he can pick up his wife’s remains for her funeral.
He added: “Life is short. Hug your loved ones. Tell them you love them when they’re getting on a flight. Check up on them. Text your family when you land.”
Read the original article on People
