Man Shares Heartbreaking Final Text He Received from Wife Before American Airlines Plane Crashed into Potomac River

A man whose wife was on the American Airlines plane that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C. has revealed the final text he received from her before the crash.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, at around 9 p.m. local time, American Airlines flight 5342 crashed into the military aircraft over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after departing from Wichita, Kansas, the FAA said in an initial statement to PEOPLE.

The aircraft was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members at the time. At least 19 bodies had been recovered from the Potomac River by 2:50 a.m. ET, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CBS News.

As people continued to wait for news about their loved ones, Hamaad Raza told CNN affiliate WUSA that his wife was on the plane and that he’d received a text from her about 20 minutes before the plane was due to land.

However, 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 the outlet. “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, showing the camera the messages.

“The rest of my texts did not get delivered, that’s when I realized something might be up,” Raza admitted.

Several members of the U.S. Figure Skating team were also onboard the aircraft at the time of the crash.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” the governing body confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, Jan. 30.

“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the statement added.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,” it concluded.

The 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships had been held in the city from Jan. 20 until Jan. 26, the U.S. Figure Skating website stated.

Pairs figure skating world champions Evgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, who won the title in 1994, were also among those onboard the plane, reported Reuters and The Guardian, citing Russian news agencies TASS and RIA.

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According to CNN, the U.S Army Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers onboard.

“We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” a U.S. Army official told the outlet in a statement.