The former wife of Ian Epstein, a flight attendant on a commercial jet that collided with a military helicopter on Wednesday near Washington D.C., has confirmed that he was killed in the incident.

“With profound sadness, my children Hannah and Joanna and I, along with Ian’s sister Robbie and her family, share the news that Ian Epstein was among the flight attendants on American Airlines Flight 5342, which crashed while landing in D.C. last night,” his ex-wife shared on social media Thursday.

She requested prayers as the family makes their way to Washington, according to her post.

Ian Epstein was part of the 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the flight that crashed into a Blackhawk helicopter as it was landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Authorities feared that everyone on both aircrafts did not survive, as reported on Thursday.

Debi Epstein, living in Harrisburg, North Carolina—around 17 miles northeast of Charlotte—wrote about the tragedy on her Facebook page.

YSL News has reached out to American Airlines and representatives of the flight attendants’ union.

Ian Epstein, who resided in Charlotte, was employed by PSA Airlines, as indicated on his Facebook profile.

YSL News has sought comment from Epstein’s family.

‘He passed away doing what he loved’

His ex-wife mentioned that their daughter is getting married in less than two months, one of their two children.

“He made flights enjoyable for passengers to ease their fears,” Debi Epstein told The Charlotte Observer over the phone Thursday. “He was always the funny one, bringing a twist to his announcements.”

She described her ex-husband as a sociable individual who “passed away doing what he truly enjoyed.”

What happened with American Airlines Flight 5342?

The accident occurred just before 9 p.m. when AA Flight 5342, coming from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land and collided mid-air with a Blackhawk helicopter carrying three individuals.

After the collision, the passenger jet, which had 64 people on board, plunged into the frigid waters of the Potomac River. A significant recovery operation was launched on Thursday as authorities searched the waters for any remains.

The investigation into the cause of the collision is currently ongoing, officials stated.

During a briefing on Thursday afternoon, Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, assured the public that the agency would thoroughly investigate the incident. “We will leave no stone unturned in this investigation. This is a comprehensive government effort,” she stated.

Homendy also noted that the flight data recorders, commonly known as “black boxes,” have not been retrieved yet.

NTSB member Todd Inman mentioned that it is too early to determine if human error or other elements contributed to the crash, but the agency anticipates releasing a preliminary report within the next 30 days.

Contributing: Christopher Cann and Jorge L. Ortiz

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter. Follow her on X @nataliealund.

(This is an evolving story and will be updated as more information becomes available.)