U.S. figure skaters, their families and coaches, as well as two former world champion Russian skaters, were aboard the American Airlines flight that crashed into the Potomac River after a mid-air collision with an Army helicopter Wednesday evening near Reagan National Airport.
First responders have been frantically searching for survivors of the crash throughout the night in the freezing water, but Thursday morning officials said there were no survivors and the rescue operation had converted to a recovery phase.
American Eagle Flight 5234 from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was approaching the Washington, D.C., airport when it collided in midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter around 9 p.m. Both aircraft fell into the river.
U.S. Figure Skating said it "can confirm" that members of its "community" were aboard the flight.
BREAKING:
— Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) January 30, 2025
Statement from U.S. Figure Skating:
“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.
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"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 and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts," the statement continued. "We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the "sad information" that the Russian skaters were passengers on the flight, according to Tass.
The state-operated news site identified the skaters as Yevgenia Shiskova and Vadim Naumov.
