The mid-air collision between an American Airlines PSA Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., is among the deadliest U.S. air crashes in recent years. All 64 passengers, including four crew members on the plane, and three military personnel in the helicopter are presumed dead. The crash occurred on January 29, shortly before 9 p.m., as Flight 5342 approached Ronald Reagan National Airport. Harsh weather and icy Potomac River waters complicate recovery efforts.

Andy Beyer lost his wife, Justyna, and 12-year-old daughter, Brielle, in the crash. Brielle, a former cancer survivor, had just returned from the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp. “She was so proud of herself in figure skating,” Beyer said.

Beyer and his six-year-old son waited at the airport, unaware of the tragedy. “When it was time for the plane to land, they hadn’t landed,” he recalled. A friend later confirmed the crash. “We had a good cry … before we, hours later, got any official word.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the grieving family. “Their absence leaves an irreplaceable void,” it states. Beyer remembers his daughter as a fighter: “She just lived life to the fullest.”