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Brooklyn woman among the dead in DC plane crash, family confirms
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Andrew Giambrone
Published Jan 31, 2025
Modified Feb 3, 2025
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Courtesy of Melissa Jane Nicandri's family
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Andrew Giambrone
Published Jan 31, 2025
Modified Feb 3, 2025
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A woman who lived in Brooklyn was among the victims of Wednesday’s fatal mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport, Mayor Eric Adams announced, and the woman’s mother confirmed, on Friday.
Melissa Jane Nicandri was returning home from a work trip in Kansas and was connecting through Reagan on the plane that went down in the Potomac River, said her mother, Stacie Nicandri.
“She was an amazing woman, she was an amazing girl and had so much going for her,” Stacie Nicandri said through tears in a brief phone interview.
Stacie Nicandri said her daughter lived in Brooklyn Heights and worked for Moody’s Investors Service in Manhattan, rating colleges and universities. She added that her daughter was at a school in Kansas for her work trip.
The mid-air collision between the plane and an Army helicopter claimed 67 lives, making it one of the deadliest air-carrier crashes in the United States in decades, according to multiple news reports and official statements.
Adams named Nicandri in a statement on Friday as one of the passengers who was killed.
“Today, we learned that one of the 67 victims of the heartbreaking crash on Wednesday was a fellow New Yorker, Melissa Jane Nicandri,” Adams said in a social media post. “At just 28 years old, her life was tragically cut short. My heart and my prayers go out to her loved ones.”
Adams on Sunday said two others who perished on the plane had ties to New York City: Captain Jonathan Campos, a pilot who grew up in Gravesend and graduated from the city’s public schools, and Danasia Brown Elder, a flight attendant and mother of two who was raised in Coney Island.
Ben Shtuhl, Nicandri’s boyfriend, told Gothamist she loved living in Brooklyn Heights and taking advantage of the city’s many offerings, including parks, restaurants, Broadway shows, concerts, and proximity to friends.
“She has friends from literally every phase of life and had a gift for connecting them, and seemed to be everyone’s go-to person when something was wrong or they needed to talk,” he wrote in a message. “She was a truly special person, all her friends are heartbroken.”
Moody's also expressed condolences for Nicandri, and another of its employees it said was on the plane, Chris Collins.
“Chris and Melissa were cherished colleagues who embodied our values and enriched our lives with kindness and warmth," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "They leave an immeasurable void in our community, and our hearts go out to their families, friends and colleagues, as well as all those grieving from this terrible tragedy.”
Other victims include figure skaters and their coaches who were part of a Boston skating club returning from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, an officer with the Mississippi National Guard, and a college student from Ohio who went back to her hometown for her grandfather’s funeral, NBC reported.
Investigators are examining voice and flight-data recorders recovered from the plane, which was a Bombardier CRJ700, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Thursday. The helicopter was an Army Black Hawk. An official cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
washington D.C.
new york city
public safety
plane crash
transportation
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Andrew Giambrone
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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