Head CNN Host Breaks Down In Tears On LIVE TV
In an emotional interview with Andy Beyer, who tragically lost his wife and 12-year-old daughter in the fatal plane crash in Washington, D.C., CNN presenter Kaitlan Collins became visibly shaken. Beyer’s wife, Justyna, and daughter, Brielle, had been returning from the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas, when their aircraft went down. Beyer shared with Collins the devastating moment he realized something was terribly wrong.
“We were supposed to pick them up, me and my son, like we did from these trips all the time,” Beyer recalled. “We were texting with them right before they were supposed to land. The tracker said ‘landed,’ and texts went from blue to green, and then fire trucks started going by. At that point, I knew something was wrong.”
“I called someone that, you know, was able to confirm that their plane was in a crash, and I told my son,” he said. “He came in the front seat with me, and we had a really long cry. He let out just like this ‘no'—you know, it was really hurt,” Beyer continued.
“I can’t even imagine having to have that conversation… where you don’t even as a dad have a few moments to process it by yourself,” Collins said.
Brielle was a talented young figure skater who had already overcome immense challenges, including surviving childhood cancer. Beyer expressed his gratitude for being her father. “It was the most amazing gift that I could have asked for,” he said. “She was just the dream girl from the moment that I met her. She just kept exceeding our expectations from the time she was a baby… She was a joy and a gift.”
“They, like all the victims, deserve to be remembered. They deserve to have their story known to the world,” Beyer responded. “Everyone dies, right? And they live on through our memories. I want people to have a memory of them so that they live on.”
“Thank you for doing so, Andy,” Collins said, wiping away tears. “I think everyone will be really touched to hear from you. So thank you. Thank you for going on to talk about that.”
WATCH:
On January 29, American Eagle Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided midair near Washington, D.C. All 67 individuals on both aircraft lost their lives in the accident.
PSA Airlines operated American Eagle Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ-700, on behalf of American Airlines. The aircraft had departed from Wichita, Kansas, en route to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Black Hawk helicopter belonged to the U.S. Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion and was engaged in a routine nighttime training operation.
Preliminary reports indicate that the helicopter was flying above its authorized altitude of 200 feet at the time of impact, reaching approximately 325 feet. Both aircraft were under the guidance of a single air traffic controller, a situation described as “not normal” for that time of night.
Authorities have recovered the black boxes from both aircraft, and they are in good condition, expected to provide key insights for the investigation. The remains of all 67 victims have been located, with 66 positively identified as of Tuesday. While a preliminary report is anticipated within 30 days, a comprehensive investigation could take more than a year.
This incident marks the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since November 2001.