Washington, D.C.:
Pakistani-origin woman Asra Hussain Raza was among the victims of a tragic mid-air collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter in the United States.
Asra was aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which was struck by a US Army Black Hawk training helicopter mid-air.
Final Text and Tragic End
Just moments before the crash, Asra texted her husband, Hamaad Raza, saying she would land in 20 minutes.
Hamaad, who was waiting at the airport, never received another message.
“Asra was everything to us,” said Hamaad’s father, Hashim Raza, tearfully. “And now my son is widowed at just 25. What do I say to him? They had planned to have children and were excited for the future.”
Education and Career
Asra and Hamaad met at Indiana University Bloomington, where she studied corporate finance and was a straight-A student.
Hamaad had told his family upon meeting her, “I am going to marry her.”
Later, Asra earned her master’s degree in public health from Columbia University and took a job at a consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Her ultimate goal was to improve public health through government work.
“She just wanted to help people, and she believed D.C. was the place to do it,” Hashim said. “And she was an incredible cook—Indian, Italian, Chinese. I always told her to open a restaurant.”
She frequently traveled to Wichita, Kansas, for work, helping to turn around a struggling hospital.
“She was an extremely caring person,” Hashim added. “She would call just to say, ‘I love you.'”
Background and Family
Hamaad and Asra had been married for two years. Asra was 26, and Hamaad is 25, currently working as an accountant at Ernst & Young.
Hamaad’s father, Dr. Hashim Raza, originally from Karachi, Pakistan, is a Dow University graduate and one of Missouri’s most distinguished doctors. He currently serves at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center.
PM Shehbaz Expresses Condolences
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the tragic mid-air collision, offering condolences to the families of the victims.
On his social media account, he extended sympathies to US President Donald Trump and the American people during this difficult time.
Crash Details & Investigation
- All 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight perished.
- Three military personnel on the Black Hawk helicopter also lost their lives.
- The wreckage of the passenger plane was recovered in three parts from the Potomac River, but not all bodies have been retrieved yet.
- Investigators have recovered the black boxes, and a preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
The crash is being called the deadliest US air disaster in over two decades.
