American Airlines pilot reassures passengers after deadly DC collision: 'No higher calling'
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - An American Airlines pilot wanted to reassure his passenger following the deadly midair crash that killed 67 people.
The touching moment happened on Flight 1044 from Jacksonville to Miami, Florida, on January 30, a day after an American Airlines flight was involved in a collision near Washington, DC.
What they're saying:
The pilot was heard over the intercom talking to passengers ahead of the flight in footage shared by Leighton Mixon.
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"Maybe you’re fearful about flying and that’s totally understandable, but just please know that my first officer and our flight attendants and myself place your safety and responsibility of carrying you to Miami to your families, your vacations, your meetings at the highest level," Captain Jeffrey Collins said. "I have no higher calling than carefully, professionally transporting you today."
The backstory:
Last week, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.
Nancy Kerrigan speaks following DC plane crash
Figure skating legend Nancy Kerrigan spoke to members of the media at the Skating Club of Boston, after several figure skaters were killed in the DC plane crash. All 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter were feared dead in what was likely to be the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said.
The plane’s passengers included figure skaters returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita and a group of hunters returning from a guided trip.
The NTSB said Saturday that preliminary data showed conflicting readings about the altitudes of the airliner and the helicopter.
Investigators also said that about a second before impact, the jet’s flight recorder showed a change in its pitch. But they did not say whether that change in angle meant that pilots were trying to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid the crash.
The Source: Storyful contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from a combination of sources, including a video shared by Leighton Mixon capturing the pilot's remarks, statements made by Captain Jeffrey Collins over the intercom, and an update from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the investigation into the midair collision. This story was reported from Los Angeles.