Flight 5342 victim Dustin Miller would want loved ones to ‘keep it light,’ root for Chiefs
Dustin Miller was passionate about Kansas City Chiefs football, the outdoors and barbecue.
Above all else, though, he loved his family, his sister Kristen Miller-Zahn told The Eagle.
Miller, an IT professional from El Dorado, was one of 67 people who died in the collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
“I speak for my family when I say Dustin was the funniest guy in the room. He was also the most generous and loving,” Miller-Zahn said. “He had a way of making people feel at home in his presence. He wasn’t just a brother or a son. He was also each of our best friend.”
A Butler Community College graduate, Miller, 43, moved back to El Dorado from Arizona about a year ago to be closer to his parents, Dan and Karen Miller. He was flying from Wichita to D.C. on a work trip.
Miller-Zahn said her brother would do anything for the people he loved, and even for people he didn’t know so well.
He had many hobbies, one of which was posting dramatically shot drone footage videos to YouTube of bodies of water including El Dorado Lake and Boca Ciega Bay in Florida.
“My brother loved to travel, camp, fish, and man, could he smoke meats,” Miller-Zahn said. “He enjoyed BBQing for others and enjoyed spending time with people. He would want everyone that knew him to keep it light.”
She said he would be “so moved by the outpouring of love and support from people right now, helping us navigate this tragedy.”
Miller-Zahn said her brother was eagerly awaiting the Chiefs’ appearance in Super Bowl LIX and their bid to win a third-straight title.
“He was a HUGE Chiefs fan so he would want us to watch the Super Bowl game and root for the Chiefs.”
A family friend of the Millers has created a GoFundMe page to help cover immediate costs and gather to celebrate Dustin’s life.
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 7:01 PM.
