This Man Was on a Plane Two Minutes Behind the Fatal American Airlines and Black Hawk Crash in D.C.

To say the man featured in a now-viral TikTok I’m about to dive into is shocked would be an understatement — but that’s just one way to describe a near-death experience. TikToker @jamesmoyler had an unnervingly close call, as his flight was just two minutes behind the midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29, 2025.

The plane carried 64 people, including two world-champion Russian figure skaters, while three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, per CNN. There don’t appear to be any survivors.

In his TikTok, James detailed how his plane was unable to land due to the crash — and how, in a heartbreaking twist, he was sitting beside the father of a flight attendant aboard that flight. Here’s his story.

It’s safe to say James Moyler will be seeing life through a different lens — because he quite literally avoided a tragic fate. In his TikTok, James shared that his flight was delayed in Charlotte due to heavy winds in D.C. But when they finally took off, the "skies were completely clear." Had his flight not been delayed — which ultimately placed it behind the one heading into D.C. from Wichita — his plane could have been the one that collided with the Black Hawk helicopter.

In his TikTok, recorded just after stepping off his flight following a two-hour wait on the tarmac, James described what he saw and why he was feeling both relieved and deeply shaken.

He explained, "As we started approaching D.C., we started our descent and we stopped right before touching down," adding, "We were scheduled to touch down at 8:55 p.m., [but] we pulled back up and started circling D.C." At first, he didn’t think much of it, considering his earlier delay in Charlotte was also due to weather in D.C., but then, he said, "The captain came on [the intercom] and said that there was an incident with the helicopter."

That announcement prompted passengers to turn on their phones and search for updates. James explained that because his plane didn’t have enough fuel to keep circling, it was "diverted to the other Washington D.C. airport, Dulles, which is a really quick trip — we touched down here about 15 minutes later."

By that time, people on board began piecing together that something serious had happened involving a commercial flight. But here’s where the gut punch comes in — James revealed that the man sitting next to him had a daughter who was working as a PSA flight attendant servicing the flight from Wichita. At the time, they didn’t know there were no survivors. But now, knowing what we do, that detail hits even harder. If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know the feeling.

Now, get ready for the goosebumps — James then explained just how close he came to disaster. "My flight was scheduled to touch down at 8:55 p.m., and that incident occurred at 8:53 p.m. We were following them into Runway 33 at DCA National Reagan." In other words, his flight was just two minutes behind the one from Wichita.

At this point, James realized just how surreal it all was, saying, "I'm feeling like I was within two minutes of death," but added, "I'm just grateful that I’m OK and hope that they're able to find a lot of survivors in the Potomac."

James also raised an important question — how does a Black Hawk military chopper collide with a commercial flight in clear skies, even with high winds? That’s something many people (myself included) would love answers to.

Now, folks are linking James’s story to the "Burnt Toast Theory."

The "Burnt Toast Theory" refers to an inconvenience — like running late for work or missing a flight — that ultimately saves you from an unforeseen tragedy, such as dodging an accident. It can also put in line to receive something greater.

In James’s case, his story seems to align with this theory. His flight delay in Charlotte pushed his plane behind the one from Wichita, possibly preventing it from being the one involved in the collision.

It’s a wild concept, but one many can relate to. The best way to describe it? "Had this not happened, then that would have."