A southern Brooklyn-born American Airlines pilot who died in a plane crash near Washington, D.C., was remembered at his funeral on Tuesday as a devoted family man and skilled aviator.
Jonathan Campos, 34, was piloting the American Airlines flight that collided with a Blackhawk military helicopter over the Potomac River on Jan. 29, killing all 67 passengers and crew aboard the plane, along with the helicopter crew.
About 75 people gathered at the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Dyker Heights to honor Campos’ life. He was remembered as a wonderful person who loved his family and aviation.
“He loved to travel, sometimes five times a week,” his long-time girlfriend Ashley Childress said during the service. Ashley Childress recalled taking several cruises with Campos, as well as trips to Puerto Rico and Virgina, and going scuba diving. “I always knew I’d love you forever.”
Campos, a seasoned pilot with a passion for aviation, was remembered as an extraordinary individual by his alma mater. A 2008 graduate of John Dewey High School in Coney Island, Campos had dreamed of becoming a pilot from a young age.
“He was an amazing young man who had his life cut short at age 34. I was fortunate enough to follow his career path,” said Lane Rosen, a science teacher at John Dewey High School, in a Facebook post. “Jonathan was active, social and highly adventurous. He raced motorcycles, was licensed to fly helicopters, was a flight instructor and an aircraft mechanic. He was a certified scuba diver and had a passion for aviation and a zest for life.
After graduating from John Dewey, Campos relocated to Florida in 2008 to pursue his aviation dreams at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, where he earned his degree in 2015. He later trained as a certified flight instructor at Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach before becoming a captain in 2022.
Pilots and flight attendants lined the streets on Tuesday, holding one another as Campos’ casket was carried out.
A member of American Airlines said the pilot’s memory will never die.
“His skills as a commercial pilot were matched by his humility and kindness to all,” he said. “He made us a better airline field. Jonathan Campos will never be forgotten, and his memory will live on.”
Brooklyn Heights resident Melissa Nicandri, 28, also perished in the plane crash. Nicandri was returning home from a work trip in Kansas when her plane, which was connecting through Reagan, crashed into the Potomac River, her mother, Stacie Nicandri, told Gothamist.
The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the crash.
Additional reporting by Adam Daly
