Midair Collision Near DC Claims 67 Lives, Including Promising Attorney on 33rd Birthday
Elizabeth Anne Keys, a Tufts and Georgetown graduate, was flying home early to celebrate with loved ones when her flight collided with a military helicopter.
- Elizabeth Anne Keys, a 33-year-old attorney from Washington, D.C., was among the 67 victims of a midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.
- Keys, a Cincinnati native and valedictorian of her high school class, was returning early from a business trip to celebrate her birthday with her long-term boyfriend, David Seidman.
- The crash, which occurred shortly before 9 p.m., is the deadliest U.S. airline disaster in over two decades, with all 64 passengers on the plane and three crew members on the helicopter presumed dead.
- Keys was a Tufts University graduate and earned her law degree from Georgetown University, later working as an associate attorney at Wilkinson Stekloff, where she was remembered for her sharp wit, fearlessness, and dedication.
- Her family and friends described her as a vibrant, deeply loved person who brought light and joy to those around her, leaving behind a legacy of personal and professional accomplishments.