‘Our hearts are with his family’: GE Aerospace employee killed in DC plane crash, CEO says

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - The CEO of GE Aerospace says an employee was on the American Airlines flight involved in the fatal mid-air collision with a military helicopter.

Larry Culp, chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace headquartered in Cincinnati, identified the employee as Vikesh Patel.

“This is a tragedy not only for our industry but also for the GE Aerospace team as one of our cherished colleagues, Vikesh Patel, was onboard the flight,” Culp said. “Our hearts are with his family and all those impacted by this horrific accident.”

According to his LinkedIn page, Patel had recently switched jobs at the company and was an MRO Transformational Leader who traveled around the country.

He worked for GE Aerospace for more than a decade in several roles including engine assembly engineer, production planner, senior operations manager, lean transformation coach and most recently site leader.

American Airlines Flight 5342 had 60 passengers and four crew members on board when it collided with the Army Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers onboard while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The collision sent both plummeting into the frigid waters of the Potomac River and killing everyone on board.

The cause remains under investigation.