Teenage skaters, a young pilot and a professor – the victims of DC plane crash

BBC:

Recovery operations are still under way in Washington DC, after an American Airlines plane from Kansas carrying 64 people onboard collided with a military helicopter, manned by three personnel, on Wednesday night.

The victims include top figure skaters from the US and Russia, a young pilot, flight attendants, and a lawyer travelling home on her birthday.

Here are some of the people believed to have been on board the helicopter and the plane.

Plane passengers

Asra Hussain Raza

Indiana woman Asra Hussain Raza, 26, had moved to the Washington DC area after receiving a master’s degree in hospital management.

“She was returning from a work trip where she was helping to improve a hospital that really needed help,” said her husband Hamaad Raza, who showed the last text message from his wife to news crews outside the airport.

“And, you know, she was doing what she loved. She was even working on the flight.”

He added: “She gave a lot, but she had so much more to give. But if there was ever someone who took advantage of their 26 years of life, it was her.”

Professor Kiah Duggins

The president of Howard University confirmed Professor Kiah Duggins had died in the collision.

The civil rights lawyer was set to begin teaching at the university’s School of Law in the autumn.

“She dedicated her career to fighting against unconstitutional policing and unjust money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas and Washington DC,” the university said in a statement reported by US media.

Sarah Lee Best

Two DC lawyers were also on board the flight, their loved ones confirmed.

Sarah Lee Best, 33, was kind and hard working, her husband Daniel Solomon told the Washington Post.

Mrs Best and Mr Solomon had planned to travel to Hawaii, where she was born, for their 10th wedding anniversary in May.