DYKER HEIGHTS — Jonathan Campos, the pilot of the doomed American Eagle Flight 5342 that collided with a military helicopter in midair over Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29, was remembered during his funeral as a dedicated professional who had always dreamed of flying.
Hundreds of family, friends, and fellow aviation professionals gathered for the funeral Mass for Campos at The Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Dyker Heights on Feb. 11. The celebrant was Father Jeremy Canna, the pastor of St. Bernadette.
“Jonathan loved what he did,” said Dion Flannery, president of PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines. Flannery, who delivered one of the eulogies at the Mass, said the aviation community is in deep mourning over the pilot’s death.
“He will never be forgotten,” Flannery said. “May our sorrow give rise to pride.”
The tragic crash that took Campos’ life along with the lives of 66 others — 64 people died on the plane, and three perished aboard the helicopter — is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The airliner and the helicopter, which was on a training mission, collided in midair as the airplane was preparing to land at Reagan National Airport. Flight 5342, with Campos at the controls, was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, bound for Washington.
The crash that cut Campos’ life short at age 34 was repeatedly mentioned at the funeral.
“Jonathan’s death is a tragedy,” said Deacon Edwin Rivera, a friend of the late pilot’s family who delivered the homily. “For you, his friends and family, it’s like being left in a dark alley during a blackout. The power goes out, and we look for something to give us light.”
Deacon Rivera urged the mourners to find comfort in Jesus Christ.
“Turn to Jesus. Let him be the candle that gives you light,” he said.
According to Campos’ obituary posted on the funeral home’s website, he was born in the Bronx but had deep roots in Brooklyn. He attended P.S. 90 and Intermediate School 303 (both in Coney Island) before graduating from John Dewey High School in Gravesend in 2008.
In high school, Campos enjoyed working as an audio-visual assistant on school shows and showed a particular interest in marine science, music, scuba diving, snowboarding, and skydiving, according to the obituary.
Campos lost his father, NYPD Police Officer Feliberto Campos Jr., at the age of 9, and the memory of his father spawned in him a desire to serve others, the obituary states. Campos had a tattoo of his father’s badge number — 4935 — on his right shoulder.
In 2008, he moved to Florida and enrolled in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science in 2015. Three years later, he was selected as a pilot for PSA. He became a captain in 2022 and later served as a certified instructor for Epic Flight Academy.
Ashley Childress, Campos’ girlfriend of 10 years, described him as a warm, friendly, and kindhearted man.
“Jonathan did love everyone,” she said. “He would easily make friends.”
Childress recalled the many good times she shared with Campos.
“Our adventures were endless,” she said, listing scuba diving and visits to gun shows as among their favorite pursuits. “What a good life together we lived.”
Addressing Campos, Childress said, “I always knew I would love you forever.”
Father Juan Luxama, parochial vicar for St. Bernadette, offered Bishop Robert Brennan’s condolences and said the Diocese of Brooklyn would be there to help Campos’ family cope with their devastating loss.
“We’re here to support them. We want to be there for them. This is going to be a long, powerful journey for them and a long healing process,” Father Luxama added. “So we want to offer them our prayers and our thoughts.”
Following the funeral Mass, Campos was laid to rest at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.
