Exec who served in Clinton and Obama administrations killed by jet turbulence over New England
The passenger who died last week on a private jet that encountered severe turbulence as it flew over New England has been identified as a prominent Washington attorney who served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations.
Also an alumnus of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States – better known as the 9/11 Commission – Dana J. Hyde’s name was also released on Monday by the Connecticut police who were investigating the incident.
Hyde, 55, was one of five aboard the DC-bound plane, which was forced to divert Friday afternoon to Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport after experiencing unforeseen instability.
Others on board included Hyde’s husband and son, as well as two crew members – all of whom survived. The family was reportedly on their way to their home in Cabin John, Maryland, when turbulence hit unexpectedly.
The plane was en route from Keene, New Hampshire, before switching off to Bradley, where the high-profile attorney was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Also an alumnus of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States – also known as the 9/11 Commission – Dana J. Hyde’s name was released by the Connecticut Police Department who investigated the incident on Monday
Others aboard the plane (pictured here Friday after the emergency landing) included Hyde’s husband and son, as well as two crew members – all of whom survived. The family was on their way back to their home in Cabin John, Maryland, when the turbulence hit unexpectedly
In a statement Monday that offered insight into authorities’ ongoing investigation into the death of the former White House aide — which is also under investigation by the FBI — the Connecticut State Troopers confirmed that the private jet belonged to a company led by Hyde’s wife, Jonathan Chambers.
The company, Conexon, based in Kansas, provides high-speed internet service to rural communities. Prior to joining the company, Chambers was also once a prominent figure in Washington, serving in the U.S. Senate as a Republican staff director and later as head of the Office of Strategic Planning for the FCC.
Hyde, meanwhile, worked as a part-time consultant for the DC-based think tank Aspen Institute, a gathering of leaders from various industries striving to solve some of the world’s most prevalent problems.
In that role, Hyde co-chaired the Aspen Partnership for an Inclusive Economy (APIE), which, according to the agency’s website, “works to bridge the gap between the people who deserve more inclusive systems and standards and the people who put them in place.” ‘
Officials said Hyde was immediately transported to Saint Francis Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut, after the plane landed Friday, where she was pronounced dead that evening.
No one else was injured in the incident and officials confirmed that both Chambers and one of the couple’s two children were on board at the time of the crash landing.
Hyde, once a prominent Washington figure, signs the $375 million Benin Power Compact in September 2015 in the presence of Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi and then Vice President Joe Biden
“We can confirm that the aircraft belonged to Conexon and that Dana Hyde was the wife of Conexon partner Jonathan Chambers,” company spokesperson Abby Carere said in an email Monday. Jonathan and his son were also on the run and were not injured in the incident. ‘
According to Flight Aware data, the plane made the reverse trip from Leesburg to Dillant/Hopkins at approximately 3:49 p.m. Thursday.
At the time, Connecticut State Troopers were responding to a medical emergency call around the ISP’s private jet, with Hyde then transported by ambulance to the hospital in the region.
Bradley International is about 70 miles from Keene, New Hampshire, where the plane initially took off.
On 3/3/2023, at approximately 3:49 PM, Connecticut State Troopers responded to a medical emergency call at Bradley International Airport. One patient was then transported by ambulance to an area hospital,” a Connecticut State Police spokesman told DailyMail.com.
The private plane was owned by an internet company headed by Hyde’s husband Jonathan Chambers, who also previously worked as a White House stagger and was on board the flight with one of the couple’s sons. Both survived without any injuries, officials said
‘Our office helps where necessary; however, the NTSB and FBI are investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Please contact those agencies directly for more information.”
Flight records show that the plane, a Bombardier Challenger 300, reached a peak altitude of 26,000 feet before suddenly descending after traveling south along the Connecticut River before landing at around 3:45 p.m.
Despite the recent announcement, it is not yet clear how Hyde died. Her family has yet to make a statement, and a preliminary NTSB report is not expected for another two to three weeks.
Officials said NTSB investigators had already removed the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which they are currently analyzing.
The plane was bound for Leesburg Executive Airport in suburban DC, where the family lived
They added that investigators are currently working to collect witness statements from Chambers and others aboard the plane, including the two-man crew.
Turbulence, unstable air in the atmosphere, continues to be a cause of injury for airline passengers, despite improvements in airline safety over the years.
But deaths are extremely rare. A preliminary report will be available in two weeks.
“I can’t remember the last fatal accident due to turbulence,” said Robert Sumwalt, former NTSB chairman and executive director of the Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
According to the NTSB, between 2009 and 2018, turbulence was responsible for more than a third of accidents at larger commercial airlines.
.