World champion figure skaters involved in tragic American Airlines plane crash as Team USA member speaks out
Two world champion figure skaters and a number of other athletes were reportedly on board the American Airlines passenger plane that collided with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan International Airport on Wednesday.
The plane, which was carrying 64 passengers and crew, was travelling to Washington DC from Wichita, Kansas when it collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, with both aircraft crashing in the nearby Potomac River.
BBC News report that nineteen bodies have been recovered so far as part of the rescue operation and there are fears the death toll could rise further in the coming hours.
US Figure Skating (USFS), the body that governs the sport in the United States, has confirmed in a statement that several of its members were on board the American Airlines Flight 5342, with some athletes travelling from the 2025 US Figure Skating Championships which took place in Wichita between January 20 and 26.
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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 USFS statement read.
"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."
Team USA skater Luke Wang has earlier confirmed that several skaters and coaches were on board the flight.
"Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to DC. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking," he posted on X.
Two other people on board the American Airlines flight have been named as 1994 World Figure Skating Championship pairs winners Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
The Russian couple married in August 1995 and settled in Connecticut in 1998. Their son Maxim - who is also a skater and was competing at the US Figure Skating Championships - may also have been on the plane, according to Russia's TASS and RIA news agencies [via The Sun].
The Independent also report that TASS named another passenger as legendary Soviet Union figure skater Inna Volyanskaya.
Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash, a US official has confirmed.
All takeoffs and landings from Ronald Reagan International Airport have been halted as the search for survivors continues, with more than 300 emergency workers at the scene.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has questioned the actions of both the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers prior to the crash.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump posted: "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time."
He added: "It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane."
"This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Rory O'Callaghan