Jonathan Campos GoFundMe raises over $29,000 as family reveals final words of American Eagle pilot before fatal DC plane crash  

A mid-air collision occurred over Washington, D.C., between American Eagle's Flight 5342, flown by Jonathan Campos, and a Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the U.S. Army on January 29, 2025. Both aircraft were carrying 67 people; 64 were onboard the flight, including its crew members, while the remaining three people were from the helicopter and consisted of military officials.

The plane's intended landing destination at Ronald Reagan National Airport was seconds away when this accident occurred, resulting in two aircraft crashing into the Potomac River.

The Campos family arranged for a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to fund the funeral expenses of their son Jonathan Campos. The GoFundMe fundraising effort has achieved more than $29,000 in donations to date.

The GoFundMe platform operates as part of an overall aid network. The initiative was established to assist crash-affecting families while other verified campaigns function to provide support to this disaster's victims.

The fundraising campaign reads:

"We are doing this GoFundMe to help Pilot Jonathan Campos' mother, Jeannine Campos, with funeral expenses during this difficult time. Pilot Jonathan Campos was a loving son, boyfriend, and dedicated pilot for American Airlines. Jonathan was Jeannine’s pride and joy; everything she did was for her son."

Right before Jonathan Campos set off on the fateful flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., he had a brief conversation with his uncle, John Lane. In that short ten minutes of the call, he was reportedly very keen about an upcoming family cruise with relatives.

Lane said of his phone call with Daily Mail, "He seemed very happy," referring to the joy in Campos's voice as he awaited the coming celebration time with family aboard the Icon of the Seas cruise ship.

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Investigation and aftermath

The National Transportation Safety Board started investigating the collision by recovering black boxes from both planes to find what caused this accident.

The debris examination combined with machine data analysis by rescuers resulted in many questions about the devastating accident's underlying cause.

The psychological impact on the families affected by this tragedy is great because they are left in the position of having to deal with their emotions while finding answers to what caused this devastating loss.

Jonathan Campos' aunt, Beverly Lane, told USA TODAY:

"He always wanted to soar like a bird."

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Jonathan Campos: Life remembered

Jonathan Campos was a 34-year-old pilot with Puerto Rican heritage. The young man had pursued his childhood dream of flying and was known to be dedicated to his job as an aviator.

Campos had trained and worked hard for many years to realize his dream of becoming a pilot. He was very well-liked by his peers and students and was an instructor at Epic Flight Academy as well.

As news of his death spread, friends and family expressed their profound grief, describing him as a "wonderful person" and "the love of her life" to his girlfriend, WKMG reported.