Last night, an American Airlines Regional jet collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington DC over the Potomac. As a long-time and frequent American Airlines regional jet passenger flying into DC, I am very familiar with the flight path down the Potomac. The approach is exciting and picturesque with a bird’s eye view of some incredible local architecture and sites.

The landing is also a trip down memory lane as I think of the ADAPT actions at these various locations and the activists – my friends – who were there. This includes a long and somewhat unplanned march many, many years ago which triggers memories of Marva Ways, Barbara Toomer and Sarah Gilmour (from Rochester).

The AA Regional Jet crowd has also been family. Our experience of departing DC illustrated how busy the airline and airport is. For years, a ridiculous number of AA regional flights would come and go from DC through two gates. Multiple planes were constantly boarding and airline staff would call out flight information – with the voice of an auctioneer – to herd tired passengers onto the correct planes. They used a loud voices, humor and sometimes stern redirection for passengers who were deliberately disobedient. I met many in my AA Regional Jet extended family asking if they said “Manchester” or “Rochester”. We all sat at the crowded gates, on the tarmac and on the runways marveling at the volume of people and the planes taking off and landing in a complex aerobatic choreography. Because of that, although the route itself was a relatively recent addition for the airline and from a different part of the country, the crash felt intensely personal.

My heart goes out to everyone impacted by this disaster, including the passengers, crew, air traffic controllers, military personnel on the helicopter, and all of their families and friends. I also want to express my condolences to the AA staff – including the gate staff, past and present, who have handled the regional jet traffic. Our relationship with you was quasi-parental. You cared for countless tired passengers who had the cognitive skills, attention span, and sometimes the emotional stability of seven-year-olds trying to navigate the biggest family reunion ever. I am sure this is a difficult morning for all of you.

Because we constantly have activists in DC working on the Latonya Reeves Freedom Act to emancipate Disabled people from institutions, people were concerned whether any of us were involved in the accident. Because the flight was from Wichita, people were particularly concerned about Cecil Walker who has made numerous trips to DC from Kansas in the fight for freedom. Cecil was not on that flight. His wheelchair doesn’t fit in the cargo bay of those regional jets.

Many of us are relieved, but some of us are deeply wounded. You might not know who they are, so please remember that and spread kindness. That’s probably just a good rule to follow in general.