D.C. Plane Crash: U.S. Figure Skating Organization confirms skaters, coaches aboard flight

There was a horrific collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday. Now, officials have shared that both figure skaters and coaches returning from the U.S. national championships were on the flight.

According to the U.S. Figure Skating organization, there were several members of the figure skating community aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 leaving Wichita, Kansas.

“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the organization said. “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.”

As of now, the total number of fatalities due to the crash is unclear and more information on that is going to come in time. However, there were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight. There were three personnel on the Army helicopter, which is said to have been on a training flight.

The International Skating Union also shared its thoughts on the incident in a recent statement.

“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” the organization said. “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. We remain in close contact with U.S. Figure Skating and offer our full support during this incredibly difficult time.”

The crash carrying members of U.S. Figure Skating, as well as other passengers, crashed into the Potomac River. On Thursday morning, Washington fire chief John Donnelly shared that it is not believed that there are any survivors. To this point, 27 bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River. Still, recovery efforts are underway in the river. Furthermore, as of now, U.S. Figure Skating has not confirmed the members of the team that were on the plane.

There were also Russian figure skating figures on the flight. That includes Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who have competed at the Olympics and are listed as coaches by the Skating Club of Boston. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is also a competitive skater. It was the Kremlin, or Russian government, that confirmed they were on the flight.

“There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday morning. The statement would go on to offer condolences to the families that had someone in the crash.

Following the crash at about 9:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, flights out of Reagan National Airport were halted. Flights are now scheduled to resume at 11:00 a.m. EST on Thursday. It’s also unclear what led to the collision, though an investigation will occur into it. There was also communication between air traffic control and the helicopter.

Notably, the crash occurred in heavily monitored airspace, just over three miles from the White House and U.S. Capitol. This is the first fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline since 2009.