Utah House holds moment of silence for victims of airplane-helicopter collision
Jan 30, 2025, 12:27 PM | Updated: 12:33 pm
A moment of silence was observed by the House of Representatives on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Daniel Woodruff, KSL TV)
(Daniel Woodruff, KSL TV)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House of Representatives observed a moment of silence Thursday morning after an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C.
Rep. Jon Hawkins, R-Pleasant Grove, led the moment of silence. He noted some of the people on the American Airlines flight — all of whom are presumed dead — were members of U.S. Figure Skating.
“As one of the next hosts of the Winter Olympics, this hits home,” Hawkins said. “I just wanted to take a brief moment of silence to just offer condolences and prayers to those family members and team members that have lost their loved ones.”
House lawmakers then observed a brief moment of silence.
Utah is set to host the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. Hawkins has been deeply involved in running Olympic-related legislation leading up to that.
According to the Associated Press, the airplane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three soldiers on board when they collided Wednesday evening near Ronald Reagan International Airport in Virginia. Officials said they don’t believe there were any survivors.
