- March 3, 2025
The pilot operating American Eagle Flight 5342 — which collided in mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night — was identified as 34-year-old Jonathan Campos, of Ormond Beach.
The midair collision is the first major U.S. disaster in almost 16 years. There were 64 people aboard the plane, which crashed in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and three soldiers aboard the helicopter. The flight had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and among its passengers were several figure skaters, their coaches and family members.
"The heartbreaking accident of American Eagle Flight 5342 weighs heavily on our airline, the industry and the world," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a video statement Thursday afternoon. "The National Transportation Safety Board is now at the helm and is leading this investigation, but we're grateful for their leadership. ... We're devastated. I know that everyone is hurting."
Campos, who was working alongside 28-year-old co-pilot Sam Lilley, was an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University alumnus. He graduated in 2015. ERAU issued the following statement on Thursday:
"Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Captain Jonathan Campos (Aeronautical Science,’15). Our thoughts are with his family and the families and loved ones of all impacted by this tragic accident."
The flight was operated by PSA Airlines, a company for which Campos had worked for eight years, according to the New York Times. His aunt told the newspaper that the job "allowed him to travel from his home base in Florida and experience new things."
Campos was a dynamic person, said Tracy Grubbs, owner of Spruce Creek Scuba in Port Orange. Grubbs met Campos while he was a sophomore at ERAU. Campos had joined the university's diving club, and he came down to the store and the two became good friends, with Campos later completing his Master Divers certification there in 2013.
"He was full of life," Grubbs said. "He would bring people to us to learn to dive and wanted to share the passion with them."
Diving, flying, riding motorcycles — everything Campos did, he did to the fullest and in control, Grubbs said.
The pilot community is small, and so after Grubbs saw the news of the DC crash and heard there were no survivors on either aircraft, a friend texted him a report by the National Transportation Safety Board containing the names of the pilots.
"And I looked at the name. I was like, 'There's no way,'" Grubbs said.
When Campos became a captain for American Airlines, he came by the store, Grubbs recalled, and they talked for a while.
"He was sitting high," Grubbs said. "He'd finally made what he went out to do."
Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach also posted a tribute to Campos on its Facebook page, stating Campos had earned his Certified Flight Instructor rating with them and that he had worked as one of its flight instructors.
"He was a skilled and dedicated pilot with an undeniable passion for flying," the Facebook post reads. "Our deepest condolences go out to Jonathan's family, friends, and all those who lost their lives or were impacted by this devastating tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this incredibly difficult time."
