At least 40 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of the Washington D.C aircraft collision which has torn whole families apart and left communities in mourning.
The devastating crash, which took place at Ronald Reagan National Airport at around 9pm on Wednesday, claimed the lives of all 64 souls onboard American Airlines flight 5342, as well as the three soldiers in a Black Hawk helicopter.
Several members of the skating community were identified among the passengers, including former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, as well as 16-year-old Spencer Lane, 12-year-old Brielle Beyer, and 13-year-old Jenna Han.
Fairfax County school officials also confirmed that three unidentified students and six parents, including two staff members, were among those killed.
The remains of all four flight crew members, including one who was just months away from a promotion and wedding, were recovered from the debris on Thursday, along with two of the three soldiers who were aboard the helicopter.
Below are the names of all the victims verified so far, as recovery efforts continue and more are likely to be identified.
Spencer and Christine Lane
Figure skater Spencer, 16, and his mother Christine, were both killed in the plane crash which killed a total of 67 people.
Spencer’s father Douglas spoke to WPRI following the death of his wife and son, describing Spencer as a “force of nature”.
He told the news outlet: “In his home club in Boston, he was just loved by everyone from the adults running to club to the smallest skaters, to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all just adored him.”
According to her husband, Christine was a creative person with a passion for graphic design.
The couple adopted their sons Spencer and Milo from South Korea.
Kiah Duggins
Kiah, a former Miss Kansas contestant, had been visiting her mother in her hometown of Wichita and was returning to Washington DC, where she worked for the Civil Rights Corps.
The 30 year old graduated from Harvard Law School and interned at the White House as part of former First Lady Michelle Obama's Let Girls Learn initiative.
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov
Evgenia, 52 and Vadim, 55, who were married to each other, were killed on American Airlines flight 5342 on Wednesday.
They won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994, also competing at two Winter Olympics, before becoming coaches for the Skating Club of Boston in Massachusetts in 2017.
Reports suggested their son Maxim, also a skater and the US junior men’s champion in 2020, had been competing in Wichita but departed earlier in the week and was not on Flight 5342.
Everly and Alydia Livingston
Sister Everly and Alydia, ages 14 and 11, whose deaths were first reported by the skating website Golden Skate, were travelling home from a figure skating event in Wichita, Kansas. Their mothers were also on board.
Both sisters were members of the Washington Figure Skating Club and frequently shared their routines on social media under the handle @ice_skating_sisters.
Jinna and Jin Han
Jinna Han, 13, and her mother were confirmed dead by The Skating Club of Boston.
CEO and Executive Director of the club said in a statement: “Everyone is like family... We are devastated and completely at a loss for word.”
Asra Hussain
Asra sent a text to her husband, Hamaad, from the doomed flight as they approached Washington, saying she would land in about 20 minutes.
Hamaad Raza, 25, who was waiting at the airport for her arrival, never received another message, his father, Hashim Raza, told Reuters.
"Asra was everything to us," Hashim Raza, holding back tears with a quavering voice, said in a telephone interview as he travelled from Missouri to Washington to meet his son.
"And now my son is a widower at 25. What do I say to him? They planned to have children, they were so much looking forward to that."
The couple met at Indiana University Bloomington, where she studied corporate finance and was a straight-A college student.
Inna Volyanskaya
Inna was a Russian pair skater, who competed for the Soviet Union. With her partner Valery Spiridonov she won six international medals, including gold.
Her death was confirmed by her ex-husband Ross Lansel.
She played Ariel on Disney on Ice's performance of The Little Mermaid before becoming a skating coach in 2002, Lansel told NBC Washington.
Samuel Lilley - First Officer
First Officer Samuel Lilley had recently got engaged and was just months away from being promoted to captain when he was killed in the crash.
His father Timothy told DailyMail.com: 'Samuel was in the prime of his life. He was engaged to a beautiful, wonderful girl and we were all excited about her joining the family.”
Jonathan Campos - Captain
Campos was born in New York but grew up in Florida.
He attended the Epic Flight Academy where he was certified as a flight instructor in 2017 and as a commercial airline pilot one year later, according to the company's records.
Danasia Elder - Flight Attendant
Danasia, a married mother-of-two, was one of the flight attendants onboard Flight 5342.
A statement said on the Live Storm Chasers Facebook page read: “We have learned that Danasia Elder was one of the two flight attendants of flight 5342. Several friends described here as sweet and quiet. Our hearts go out to the family and friends impacted by this tragic accident.”
Ian Epstein - Flight Attendant
Ian was identified as a victim of the crash by his wife and sister.
In a Facebook post, his wife Debi wrote: “It is with a very heavy heart and extreme sadness that myself along with our children Hannah Epstein and Joanna Epstein and his sister Robbie Epstein Bloom her husband Steven Bloom and nieces Andi and Dani inform you that Ian Epstein was one of the flight attendants on American Airlines Flight 5342 that collided last night when they were landing in DC. Please pray for Ian and our family as we travel to DC . We will update when plans are made.”
Ryan O’Hara - Black Hawk crew
He was one of three Army soldiers on an annual proficiency training flight and is one of the 67 lives lost in the deadliest US plane crash since 2009.
Ryan leaves behind a wife and a one-year-old son.
Michael Stovall
Michael was returning home from a hunting trip in Kansas, according to The New York Times.
“It was a boys' trip,” his cousin, Shawna Slarb, told The Times. “They were there on a duck hunt.”
He was a much-loved son, father and husband.
Jesse Pitcher
Jesse, 30, had just started one of the best chapters in his life, having just got married last year, loved ones said.
His father Jameson told The Baltimore Banner: “He was just a hard worker, a great son, very reliable. People would call in the middle of the night, and he’d get up at whatever time it was and get up the road and take care of whatever he had to take care of.”
Wendy Shaffer
Wendy was identified by her family members as one of the victims of the crash. A Gofundme page has been launched in support of her family.
The page reads: “Last night, our world was shattered by the tragic news of the incident with American Airlines flight 5342, which took the life of our dear friend, Wendy. She was a radiant soul, a devoted wife to Nathan, and an incredible mother to her two beautiful boys ages 3 and 1.
“Her love, kindness, and unwavering spirit touched everyone who knew her, and her absence leaves a void that can never be filled. Wendy was the heart of her family—a loving partner to her husband and a nurturing, joyful mother to her children. She dedicated her life to creating a warm, loving home filled with laughter and care. Her boys were her greatest pride and joy, and she dreamed of watching them grow into the amazing individuals she knew they would become.
“As we grieve this unimaginable loss, we are coming together to support her family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Sean Kay, Angela Yang, and Alexandr Kirsanov
Delaware figure skaters Angela Yang and Sean Kay, along with their coach Alexandr Kirsanov, also died in the crash. Kirsanov’s wife Natalia Gudin confirmed their deaths.
"I lost everything. I lost my husband. I lost my students. I lost my friends," Gudin told ABC News.
Gudin, who also coaches students with her husband in Delaware, said she stayed home to be with their other skaters.
A video of the young figure skaters’ routine at the 2025 Midwestern Sectional US Ice Dance Final in October 2024 has since been shared widely on social media.
Youth ice partners Angela Yang and Sean Kay were among the victims in the horrific DC plane crash last night.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 30, 2025
They were children. The video below is one of their final performances before the tragedy.
Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/kW8Oda7kp6
Grace Maxwell
Grace Maxwell, a junior mechanical engineering student minoring in biomedical engineering at Cedarville University, was one of the 67 lives lost in a plane crash near Reagan National Airport, as confirmed by the university.
"This is devastating news for her family and for our entire campus community," the university stated in a release.
Andrew Eaves - Black Hawk Crew
Chief Warrant Officer 2, Andrew Eaves, has been identified as the pilot onboard the Black Hawk helicopter. He was a father of two.
His wife Carrie made a statement following the news and asked members of the public to “pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today,” MailOnline reported.
Elizabeth Keys and Sarah Lee Best
Elizabeth, 33, was tragically celebrating her birthday on the day of her death.
She was returning home with her colleague Sarah Lee Best, also 33, when they were both tragically killed.
Casey Crafton
Tributes were made to "dedicated father" Casey Crafton of Salem, Connecticut.
"Salem has lost a dedicated father, husband, and community member," Governor Ned Lamont wrote on social media.
Brielle Beyer and Justyna Magdalena
Brielle, 12, and her mother, Justyna, 42, were both killed in the crash, according to Andy Beyer, Brielle's father and Justyna's husband.
Brielle was a member of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia and beat cancer when she was just 4 months old, Andy told ABC News.
He said: "She was just such a fighter in everything she did. She just lived life to the fullest with everything."
Roger, Cory and Stephanie Haynos
Cory and his parents Roger and Stephanie were all killed on the plane crash, a family member confirmed on social media. The trio were flying home from the US Ice Skating Championships in Kansas.
A statement on Facebook read: “Roger and his wife died flying home with their son from the US Ice Skating Championships in Kansas. Cory was an amazing skater with a very bright future with the US Skating Team. Recently in a conversation with Roger, he was excited about his son's future and seemed honored that my wife and I were planning to travel north to see Cory perform.
“We all were expecting Cory to represent our country in the US Olympics in the future. While Roger, Stephanie, and Cory's plane did not land safely back on this earth, their flight no doubt continued on into the arms of a loving Saviour ready to welcome them home.
“Please pray for their daughter Emily, my uncle Eddie, Stephanie's family, and all the others who are suffering with tragedy.”
American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to the Ronald Reagan National Airport at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder.
A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able.
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight.
The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: "PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ." Seconds after that, the two aircrafts collided.
Authorities began recovering bodies from the crash site early Thursday and an estimated 40 bodies have so far been found according to DC Fire Chief John Donnelly.
“We will work to find all the bodies and reunite them with their loved ones,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.
US Figure Skating previously confirmed athletes, coaches and family members were on the plane that crashed.
The organisation said: “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
"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."
American figure skater John Maravilla, as reported by RIA Novosti, said: 'I don't want to name names, but there were around 14 figure skaters on the plane, not counting their parents and several coaches.'
Posting on Truth Social, President Donald Trump questioned the actions of the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers on what he described as a clear night.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy backed up Trump’s claim, stating: “To back up what the president said, from what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”
The cause of the collision is still unclear, but the National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed it is investigating.
