Officials have confirmed that there were no survivors from a heartbreaking mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night. The unfortunate event occurred at around 9 p.m. ET situated over the Potomac River, near Reagan Washington National Airport. American Airlines Flight 5342, en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., had 60 passengers and four crew members onboard. The Black Hawk helicopter carried three individuals on board. Since then, authorities have retrieved 27 bodies from the wreckage of the plane and one from the helicopter.
The event has created shockwaves in the figure skating world, as many skaters, along with their families and coaches, were aboard the flight. The International Skating Union verified that competitors and coaches coming back from the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the U.S. High Performance Development Camp in Wichita were among the affected individuals.
“We are heartbroken by this unimaginable tragedy and keep the victims’ families near in our thoughts,” U.S. Figure Skating stated in a release. Among the deceased were Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were former world champions in pairs skating. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov verified that their fatalities occurred alongside other Russian citizens aboard.
The Boston Skating Club was especially impacted, losing six of its members. Club CEO Doug Zeghibe conveyed profound sadness, describing it as an incalculable loss for their close-knit skating community. He identified some of the victims, including 16-year-old Spencer Lane and his mother Christine Lane, as well as 15-year-old skater Jinna Han. “These kids and their parents were an integral part of our community, dedicating six or seven days a week to training,” Zeghibe said. “It feels like losing family.”
Zeghibe also praised Shishkova and Naumov for their contributions to the club, having helped build its competitive skating program since joining in 2017. Their son, Maxim Naumov, a competitive skater for the U.S., was not on the flight. He had returned home earlier with Zeghibe after competing in the championships.
Moreover, famous skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov, 46, died in the accident alongside two of his team members, as verified by his spouse.
Chair Jennifer Homendy of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicated that investigators are looking into every potential factor that may have played a role in the crash, such as human error, mechanical malfunction, and environmental factors. When questioned about President Donald Trump’s remarks implying that diversity, equity, and inclusion might have been a factor, Homendy rejected the conjecture.
“We take a very careful approach,” she said. “We look at the human, the machine, and the environment. This investigation will take time.” The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder—commonly known as black boxes—have been recovered, providing crucial data for investigators.
This tragedy marks one of the deadliest aviation accidents in recent years, leaving the figure skating world and many families in mourning. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the collision.