WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A 20-year-old Wichita woman was on American Airlines Flight 5342 when it went down in the Potomac River Wednesday night. All 67 people involved in the crash are feared dead.
Grace Maxwell was returning to school after visiting her home in Wichita. She was a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering at Cedarville University in Ohio. She hoped to graduate in 2026.
The university said in a statement, “This is heartbreaking news for her family and for our campus community.”
Maxwell was known as a thoughtful student leader.
“Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering,” said Dr. Tim Norman, her secondary advisor.
The university said her father asked for prayers during this difficult time.
According to The Wichita Eagle, Maxwell had been home to attend her grandfather’s funeral.