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Meet the Detroit flight attendant who was on the plane hours before it crashed near DC

DETROIT – Flight attendant Alexis Burgess narrowly escaped tragedy after a plane she had just worked on crashed outside Washington, D.C.

“I made it by the skin of my teeth and by the grace of God,” Burgess said.

Officials said an Army helicopter crashed into an American Airlines flight Wednesday, Jan. 29, killing 67 people. The helicopter reportedly flew into the path of the jet as it was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

After working on the plane the entire day, Burgess’ shift ended and she handed it off to her close friends, the flight attendants who lost their lives. If one of the crew members had called in sick, it would have been her on that flight.

“I’m honestly, I’m heartbroken,” Burgess said. “I am heartbroken and haven’t been to sleep, I have been up a full 24 hours.”

Devastated, she returned home to her mother’s embrace in Detroit, as she mourned her friends who died in the crash.


About the Author
Shawn Ley headshot

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

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