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A group of American figure skaters, including two world champions, were among the passengers on American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday evening.
The athletes were returning from the National Development Camp at the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, according to confirmation from US Figure Skating to The Post.
Prior to departure, rising figure skating talent Spencer Lane shared an image of the aircraft’s right wing on social media, indicating the flight path from Wichita Eisenhower (ICT) to Reagan National (DCA).
The direct route between these airports operates just once daily, typically departing at 5:18 p.m. local time, FlightAware data shows.
Former Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan spoke alongside the Boston skating community, following the deadly plane crash over the Potomac River.
At least 14 figure skaters are among the victims of the crash between an American Airlines commercial flight and a U.S. Army Black… pic.twitter.com/f81JPjsW9J
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) January 30, 2025
Among those traveling were various coaches and skaters’ parents, who were concluding their attendance at the week-long events that ran from January 20-26.
Russian state media reported that former world champions Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were passengers on the flight. The married pair, who claimed gold in pair skating at the 1994 World Championship, coach their son Maxim Naumov, who recently secured fourth place in the Men’s Free Skate Championship event.
The status of their 23-year-old son’s presence on the flight remains uncertain.
US Figure Skating released a statement saying: “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
The International Skating Union expressed its shock via social media: “We are heartbroken to learn that Figure Skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport — it’s a close-knit family — and we stand together.”
Members of the American figure skating community received news of the tragedy through an organizational text message.
U.S. figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas just a few days ago.
Team USA figure skaters and coaches were reportedly on the flight from Kansas to D.C. which crashed pic.twitter.com/ZlZlBTWP1D
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 30, 2025
Team USA pair skater Luke Wang shared his concerns on X: “Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to DC. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
Virginia native and men’s free skate champion Ilia Malinin responded on Instagram Story: “I hope and pray for everyone who was on that flight is ok. God Bless.”
The accident occurred around 9 p.m. when the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet struck the Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter while approaching Runway 33. Video footage captured the devastating midair collision, which resulted in a massive orange explosion illuminating the night sky before burning debris plummeted into the Potomac River.
Rescue teams have retrieved at least 19 bodies from the water. The passenger count included 60 travelers and four crew members on the plane, plus three soldiers aboard the helicopter.