A crash between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter has killed teen figure skaters returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches, as well as a group of union steamfitters from the Washington, D.C. area.
They were among 60 travelers and four crew members on board the flight late Wednesday when it collided with a Blackhawk helicopter that was carrying three soldiers. It appears all on board both aircraft were killed when the plane and helicopter collided over the Potomac River, officials say.
John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital, said he’s confident that the remains of those killed in the crash will be recovered, but it may take some time.
Several athletes on the flight had attended a development camp after in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships that ended Sunday in Wichita, Kansas, the organization said in a statement.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.
American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centers in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about family members who may have been aboard Wednesday’s downed flight. The hotline can be reached at 1-800 679 8215.
Here are the passengers confirmed in Wednesday night’s crash so far:
From the military
The bodies of all three soldiers who were on the helicopter have been recovered, officials say.
Officials said the remains will be at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. That office coordinates the dignified transfer of fallen service members.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced. No identities of the crew have been released.
The three soldiers were doing an annual night proficiency training flight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding they were a “fairly experienced crew.” Their names had not been released as officials were notifying relatives, he said.
From the Skating Club of Boston
Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were among those killed, along with their mothers, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, said Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston, during a Thursday news conference.
Han and Lane were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Jinna, about 15 years old, and Spencer, about 16, were traveling with their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, Zeghibe said.
Shishkova and Naumov were also on board the flight. They won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan. The Russia-born pair also competed twice in the Olympics.
The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S. and was not on board the flight.
“This will have long reaching impacts for our community,” Zeghibe said, visibly emotional.
It’s not the first air tragedy in the U.S. figure skating community. The 18-member U.S. team that was set to compete in the world championships at Prague died when Sabena Flight 548 crashed on Feb. 15, 1961, in Berg-Kampenhout, about 45 minutes outside of Brussels. Also killed were six U.S. coaches and four skating officials, along with some family members.
From a Maryland union
Those killed also included four steamfitters, all members of a United Association union local in suburban Maryland, union leaders said in a social media post Thursday.
“Our focus now is on providing support and care to the families of our Brothers as we continue to gather more information in the coming days,” said the post by UA General President Mark McManus and Chris Madello, the business manager of Local 602.
