Maryland man killed in Wichita-to-D.C. flight had a passion for the outdoors
Steven M. Johnson, a 45-year-old who died in the Flight 5342 crash, was a man of adventure.
From the waves of Ocean City to the sands of West Texas to the mountains of Alaska, Johnson traveled the world chasing wildlife.
And he often bagged what he was looking for.
A Cape Buffalo. A Barbary sheep. A wildebeest. A kudu. A Dall sheep. A bull elk. A whitetail buck. A mule deer buck. Full-fanned toms, or male turkeys. Geese. The game animals posted on his Facebook page could fill a trophy wall at Cabela’s.
His last adventure brought him to Kansas, a destination state for waterfowl hunters in late January looking to load up on snow geese, specklebellies (also known as white-fronted geese) and Canada geese. Johnson was part of a group of 10 hunters from southern Maryland who booked a hunt with outfitter Fowl Plains, based out of Great Bend.
A photo of the men shows that in one day they shot 45 snow geese, 10 specklebellies and at least 12 Canada geese. It was a multi-day trip that included three days of duck hunting, a European pheasant hunt and goose hunting.
Seven of the hunters — including Johnson, Jonathan Boyd, 40; Tommy Clagett, 43; Alex Huffman, 34; Charlie McDaniel, 44; Jesse Pitcher, 30; and Mikey Stovall, 40 — never made it back home. They died Jan. 29 on Flight 5342, an American Airlines jet traveling from Wichita that collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter as it approached the airport in Washington, D.C. The other three hunters drove home.
Johnson appears to be an outlier in the group, which included several men in the construction trade, working in information technology as the owner of Maryland Computer Service.
He also appeared to have a giving side, as a major sponsor of Marlins For Mason, a nonprofit Marlin release tournament benefiting the Dravet Syndrome Foundation.
The organizers of that fundraiser posted on social media that Johnson was “always full of life.”
“Steve was a large sponsor and loyal participant of Marlins for Mason,” the group posted on Facebook. “Steve’s sponsorship was not for the sponsor recognition but because he was a caring friend with a huge heart wanting to help us find a cure.”
The accessories of Steve’s life, as shown on his social media page, match his lifestyle. Bows and arrows. Rifles. Shotguns. Boats. Beers. Trucks. Motorcycles. Camo and sunglasses. And his wife, Bridget Johnson, always by his side.
His friend Jacki Bell called Steve Johnson “the best man” and “a great friend.” She wrote that she and her husband, Gary, had a close relationship with the Johnsons that included business talk and lots of time on the water.
“The past few years Gary has had the privilege to go on many fishing trips with Steve and compete in tournaments with him too,” Bell wrote. “Steve put the true meaning into the phrase ‘Larger than Life’. In Steve’s world there was no half assing anything!! In the words of Gary, Steve was a ‘Certified Badass’. Our hearts are beyond heavy and still in disbelief. B, we love you so very much and we are here always.”
“Steve was a great man,” Cassie O’Donnell posted. “I know it won’t be the same boating this summer without meeting up to anchor alongside him and Bridget. His love for the water/fishing, family, and friends is something you all shared. I’m not sure why the good ones are taken long before anyone is ready. I know he’s left an imprint on many and the outpouring of love he’s received on social platforms is a testament to his character. He was a great guy. I know he will be missed beyond measure.
“With that said,” O’Donnell continued, “Steve lived life to the fullest! I don’t know that he left anything on the table. If he wanted to do it, he did. It’s a great reminder to live life as if it were your last.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to accept donations for Johnson’s wife. It can be found at https://shorturl.at/PVQCs.
“Steve lived life to the fullest and loved his wife, Bridget, fiercely,” the post says. “They were inseparable, sharing a love and partnership that was truly special. They were each other’s rock in life. Now, as she faces a future without him, we want to come together as a community to support her and his family in this unimaginable time of loss.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Maryland man killed in Wichita-to-D.C. flight had a passion for the outdoors."