7 Hunting Buddies Among the Casualties of Last Week’s DC Plane Crash

Among the 67 people killed last week after American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter was a group of seven hunting buddies who were on their way home from a hunting trip in Kansas. 

Chasing waterfowl in Great Bend, Kansas - about 100 miles outside of Wichita - the group was hunting with Fowl Plains Outfitters who played host to the seven men and three other buddies who were part of the group. With a ton of gear and dogs in tow, three of the members of the hunting group made the decision to make the trek to Kansas via automobile, while the remaining seven traveled by air, which ended tragically on Wednesday.

“We’ve always said our clients are more than friends. They’re family. Last night we lost [seven] family members in the horrific plane crash,” reads a statement posted Thursday to Fowl Plains’ Facebook page. “[Seven] family members we’ve had the privilege to hunt with the last few years. We’ve spent this past week, sharing the blind, laughing, talking about our families, and sharing memories. We are completely heartbroken. Please pray for the families, friends and for our [three] other hunters in the group who were driving home. Heartbroken is an understatement.”

The deceased men were later identified as Jesse Pitcher, 30; Michael Stovall, 40; Steve Johnson, 45; Alexander Huffman, 34; Charles McDaniel, 44; Jonathan Boyd, 40; and 38-year-old Tommy Clagett, per the Wichita Eagle.

According to Chase White, the owner of Fowl Plains, he said the group of men enjoyed every minute of their last hunt together, something he believed was truly special.

"For them to be able to do something for the last five or six days that they all loved together," White said, "You know, I think that is something really special for sure."

Like many of us and our hunting buddies, most of these guys had been friends since childhood and were connected via their love for the outdoors. This tragic accident has left many of the men’s families fatherless and Local groups including Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, NWTF, and Benelli USA, have organized or donated to a separate GoFundMe page for the hunters’ families. A verified GoFundMe page has been set up to support some families of crash victims, including a dedicated fund for Stovall, who is survived by his wife and son.