Several figure skaters, along with their coaches and families, were traveling on an American Airlines plane that crashed into an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. on Wednesday evening, subsequently crashing into the Potomac River.
United States Figure Skating confirmed that several members of the skating community were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C. They expressed their devastation at this unspeakable tragedy, holding the victims’ families closely in their hearts.
Although the identities of all figure skaters aboard the flight were not disclosed, the Skating Club of Boston revealed that six athletes, coaches, and family members were on board the flight that were affiliated with the club.
Two coaches identified were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The pair were champions at the 1994 figure skating world championships and competed in the Olympics twice.
In addition, athletes Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, were also on the flight.
The American Airlines flight had sixty passengers and four crew members, while the Army helicopter carried three soldiers. The incident occurred as the airplane was attempting to land.
Fire chief John Donnelly highlighted expectations of no survivors among the wreckage, with recovery operations currently underway. Thus far, 27 bodies have been recovered from the American Airlines jet and one from the helicopter.
At this time, there is no official cause identified for the collision, and all air traffic at the airport was postponed as dive teams searched for victims. The International Skating Union extended their condolences, recognizing that the skating community is a close-knit family and expressing their support through this difficult time.
This event marks the first fatal crash involving a commercial aircraft in the United States since 2009 in Buffalo, New York, where all 45 passengers and two crew members perished.
