Jonathan Campos had all the time dreamed of being a pilot.
The Brooklyn native had been dwelling out his dream till final week’s tragic crash in Washington, D.C. His life was minimize quick on Jan. 29 when American Airways flight 5324 collided with a army helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.; 67 individuals have been killed.
Campos’ highschool pal and former fiancé says the captain had all the time wished to be a pilot.
”For about a third of my life, he was the love of my life,” Nicole Suissa stated.
Suissa met Campos once they have been solely 14 years previous at John Dewey Excessive Faculty in Brooklyn. He was her first boyfriend and her former fiancé.
“It may not have worked out with me or with a lot of his relationships, but the longest standing relationship he had was with aviation,” Suissa stated Saturday.
She stated Campos all the time wished to be a pilot. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College at 18. She stated he was achieved — flying for American Airways for six years and was captain for 3.
Within the wake of his tragic passing, Suissa stated she needs to guard his legacy and push again in opposition to President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims that variety hiring practices may have precipitated the crash.
”He was a damn good pilot,” she stated. “I don’t think that this has anything to do with DEI. I think unfortunately this is being politicized and that’s completely inappropriate.”
“Yeah, he’s Puerto Rican, that’s really irrelevant, doesn’t matter what he was. He was a good pilot. He was a good American pilot and that should be the focus.”
Whereas he wasn’t piloting, Suissa stated Campos was goofy, and appreciated to chase thrills: like using bikes, scuba diving and sky diving.
”This is a man who really knew how to live. I want him to be known for that. I want him to be known for the big personality and the big adventure that he was, instead of how he died.”
His passing has left the Campos household overwhelmed and heartbroken.
Suissa stated Captain Campos will probably be buried in New York on the identical cemetery as his father. The household remains to be making funeral preparations.
“Even if we couldn’t be together, we wanted each other to be happy,” Suissa stated, “and I just, you know, hope whatever the hell he’s doing up there, he’s happy.”
