Shock and grief at Charlotte Douglas as deadly mid-air collision claims lives of Charlotte based flight crew

CHARLOTTE, NC – Search and recovery efforts continue Friday to find the  bodies of those killed in the deadly midair collision between a black hawk helicopter and an American Airlines airplane.

The tragedy impacted  people all over the country including in Charlotte where the flight crew was based.

“God is going to keep me,” Zsa Keenan said.

That was the prayer on her mind as she prepared to board a plane to Washington — just hours after the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.

“Just pray for the families. A loss is a loss, so I’m saddened for them,” Keenan said.

Officials are now saying the tragedy is likely to be the worst aviation disaster in decades.

At Charlotte Douglas flights continue mainly without  interruptions, but the tragedy is still fresh on the minds of passengers.

“So anytime you’re getting ready to take a trip and you see that the night before, it’s concerning. I feel sad for the families that are all involved. You know everyone that’s involved. It’s a sad situation,” Darryl Davidson said. 

Charlotte Douglas had a chaplain on site Thursday who said  just her presence in the airport is a sense of peace for some anxious travelers. 

“Somebody just came out of a plane and just saw me and says, can I hug you and thank you for being here,” Charlotte Douglas Airport volunteer chaplain Iris Newton said. 

She said despite the difficult day, she knows she’s in the right place to help.

“I managed to compose and help the person that needed me, but it is extremely rewarding,” Newton said. 

Despite the horrible crash passengers said  they are not afraid to fly.

“I fly American often, especially in and out of North Carolina. I do a lot of business here.

So, I always felt comfortable with them.”