The nation was rocked earlier this week after a military Blackhawk helicopter crashed into a commercial aircraft, killing everyone involved.
According to the Daily Mail, the situation became even more grim after the final words of American Airlines pilot Jonathan Campos was revealed by the outlet, which had to do with how excited he was to be back with his family soon.
His heartbroken uncle, John Lane, revealed the saddening message during an interview from his home in Brooklyn, New York.
Lane described his nephew as the type of man who was "living his dream," noting that Campos, 34, was the boy who was always playing with toy planes as a child.
The Daily Mail noted:
Doomed Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas - carrying 67 passengers and crew - collided in a massive fireball with an Army Black Hawk helicopter 400ft above the Potomac River as it was approaching Reagan National Airport just before 9pm Wednesday.
Lane revealed that he spoke with his nephew for about 10 minutes as Campos was boarding the plane to get ready for the flight.
"I spoke to him as he was boarding the plane. We spoke for 10 minutes. I can't believe it. He sounded really happy," Lane said. "He was looking forward to going on a cruise next week on the Icon of the Seas, the cruise ship."
"Ten family members were going to fly to Florida to take the trip with him. It was going to be a big celebration," the uncle added.
Lane also gave an update on Campos' family, who he said were taking it hard, which is beyond understandable.
"He loved flying, it was his dream. He was living his dream. He played with toy planes when he was a kid. He wanted to qualify to fly bigger planes. We're just sick right now. His mother isn't doing well," Lane said.
The Daily Mail noted:
The NTSB, the accident investigative agency, has recovered the 'Black Box' recorders from both aircraft involved in the crash, which was the worst aviation disaster in the US in 16 years.
Aside from the deaths of the crewmembers, several members of the American figure skating team were also killed in the horrific accident.
Now, the questions are pouring in as to what went wrong. Initial reports revealed that several catastrophic failures occurred before the crash.
The crash has also sparked numerous conspiracy theories given that a military Blackhawk helicopter was involved, and reports say it might have diverted from its original flight path for unknown reasons.
