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Maryland woman dies after jet hits severe turbulence above Conn.
Dana Hyde, who served in two presidential administrations, died on March 3.
A Maryland woman died last week when the business jet she was riding in encountered severe turbulence in the skies above New England.
The woman was identified as Dana Hyde, 55, of Cabin John, Md., according to Connecticut State Police.
As a prominent executive, Hyde held roles in the Obama and Clinton administrations. She also served as counsel to the 9/11 Commission, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The “turbulence event” occurred on March 3, when a Bombardier Challenger 300 was flying over Connecticut. The jet was traveling from Keene, N.H., to Leesburg, Va., The Boston Globe reported.
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After it was rocked by turbulence, the jet was diverted to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn., officials said. Hyde was brought to Saint Francis Medical Center in Hartford, where she was pronounced dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are leading an investigation into the matter. Five people were aboard the jet at the time, the Globe reported.
The NTSB said Monday that investigators are focusing on a “reported trim issue that occurred prior to the inflight upset.” Officials intend to analyze information from the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. They also plan to examine weather data. A preliminary report will be available in two to three weeks, officials said.
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Trim systems are “secondary” flight control systems. Secondary flight controls are meant to “improve the aircraft performance characteristics or to relieve excessive control loading,” according to SKYbrary Aviation Safety.
The Federal Aviation Administration told pilots flying Bombardier Challenger 300 jets last year that they should take additional safety measures before taking off due to reports of trim problems, the Associated Press reported.
Authorities have not said what specifically caused Hyde’s death.
Hyde served as Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a foreign assistance agency created by congress in 2004 to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty abroad. An expert in law, public policy, and international development, Hyde served eight years in the Obama Administration. She was also Associate Director at the White House Office of Management and Budget, and Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of State, according to an online biography. She also served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration.
Hyde also worked with the Aspen Institute, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.
“During her time with us, Dana was a brilliant and generous colleague who worked closely with programs across the organization to build partnerships and enhance our collective work,” the institute said in a statement to the Globe. “The thoughts of our entire Aspen Institute community are with Dana’s family and loved ones.”
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The jet involved in the incident is owned by the Kansas City-based company Conexon. Hyde was the wife of company partner Jonathan Chambers, the AP reported. Chambers was also on the plane with his son during the flight.
Bombardier, the jet’s manufacturer, said in a statement to the AP that it cannot comment on the cause of any potential in-flight problems.
“We stand behind our aircraft, which are designed to be robust and reliable in accordance with Transport Canada and all international airworthiness standards,” the company said.
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