- The final words of a passenger onboard the American Airlines jet that crashed and killed 64 people have been released
- Oleysia Taylor, who was killed alongside her daughter, shared how she wanted her daughter to start a new skating program immediately after their flight
- The helicopter’s collision with an airline jet over the Potomac River is the worst US aviation crash in 16 years
The final words of Oleysia Taylor, a passenger on the doomed American Airlines jet that crashed and killed 64 people, have been released.
Oleysia Taylor, who boarded the flight with her 12-year-old daughter, Olivia, was excited about the latter’s new skating program, which was supposed to commence after the flight.
The woman had plans before the crash. Photo: Susumu Yoshioka, Aaron Foster. Photos for illustration onlySource: Getty Images
Olga Konopelko, a close friend to Oleysia, shared their last phone conversation with People.
Friend recounts last conversation with Oleysia
Olga revealed that both mother and daughter had just attended the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kan. before the crash.
She said:
“(Olesya) couldn’t stop talking about all the good things that Olivia learned at that camp. I said ‘Don’t you need to rest after you come back? You’re coming back on Wednesday night. She was just like, ‘I don’t think so. As soon as we wake up, we’ll just go straight to the rink because Olivia really wants to start working on her new program.’ ”
64 involved in plane crash near DC
Olesya and Olivia were two of the 64 people aboard Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, which collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter 400 feet above the Potomac River as it was approaching Reagan National Airport just before 9pm on January 29, 2025.
The collision resulted in a fireball. Among the dead was a pilot, First Officer Samuel Lilley – who was newly engaged and planning for his wedding.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has since recovered the ‘Black Box’ recorders from both aircraft involved in the crash, which is named the worst aviation disaster in the US in 16 years.
Asides Olivia, other American figure skaters involved in the crash included Spencer Lane (16), Jinna Han (13) and Brielle Beyer (12).
Woman’s friend speaks on Olivia’s skating passion
Olga, whose 14-year-daughter skated with Olivia, said Oleysia was very dedicated towards her daughter’s skating passion.
She said:
“She (Oleysisa) was looking for the best coaches she could find in any country… And if there is a rink she needed to drive to, she would drive no matter how early she needed to get up, how long the drive was, how bad she felt.”
Olag added:
“My daughter is absolutely devastated. Right now the rink is so empty in an emotional (and physical) way because they’re not there.”
Nigerian aeroplane crash-lands at airport
TheTalk.NG also previously reported that a Max Air flight from Lagos crash-landed at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on January 28 at 10.57 pm.
A passenger confirmed that the aircraft lost its nose landing gear tyre after touching down, causing it to burst into flames before the plane skidded to a stop.
Emergency responders swiftly evacuated all passengers, with no casualties reported.
Source: TheTalk.NG
