Dana Hyde: Prominent lawyer who died after heavy turbulence on private business jet once served on 9/11 commission
CABIN JOHN, MARYLAND: A woman who lost her life after the business jet she was aboard hit heavy turbulence while flying over New England was identified on Monday, March 6, 2023. Dana Hyde, 55, was identified by Connecticut State Police and they claimed that stability issues are likely to blame in the accident. Hyde of Cabin John, Maryland, was a prominent Beltway lawyer who once served on the 9/11 commission.
Hyde was injured during the turbulence and pronounced dead shortly at Hartford’s Saint Francis Medical Center following an emergency landing, police said. Her remains are with the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, while the National Transportation Safety Board told the New York Post in a statement that its “investigators are now looking at a reported trim issue that occurred prior to the inflight upset.”
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According to a Federal Aviation Administration database, five people, including Hyde, were aboard the private jet, which is owned by Conexon, a company based in Kansas City, Missouri.
Conexon issues statement
"We can confirm that the aircraft was owned by Conexon and that Dana Hyde was the wife of Conexon partner Jonathan Chambers," company spokesperson Abby Carere said in an email, according to NBC News. "Jonathan and his son were on the flight also and not injured in the incident," the statement further read. The company specializes in expanding high-speed internet service to rural communities.
The Associated Press reported that NTSB investigators were interviewing two crew members and two surviving passengers to see if they wore seat belts when the plane was hit by turbulence. The jet’s cockpit voice and data recorders were sent to the NTSB headquarters for analysis.
Who was Dana Hyde?
Hyde is the co-chair of the Aspen Institute's Partnership for an Inclusive Economy, according to her LinkedIn page. She was a part-time consultant and served as co-chair of APIE from 2020-2021, said Jon Purves, a spokesman for the organization. "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," he said, adding, "The thoughts of our entire Aspen Institute community are with Dana’s family and loved ones."
Before that, Hyde served in both Obama and Clinton administrations and was in private practice as well, according to her biography. She also served on the commission that investigated September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks from 2002-2004.