WorldJAN 30, 2025

Nation Stunned As Figure Skaters Revealed On Flight That Collided With Army Helicopter In D.C.

Update 03:03 AM EST: Members of U.S. Figure Skating aboard crashed flight

U.S. Figure Skating, the official body for figure skating in the United States, revealed that "several members of our skating community" were aboard the American Airlines regional flight that crashed into an Army Black Hawk helicopter above Reagan International Airport in D.C.

"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 in an official statement.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts," it said. "We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."

Among the skaters were coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, as well as their son Maxim. The couple won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994 and had lived in the United States since 1998 training skaters for U.S. Figure Skating.

Image credits: U.S. Figure Skating

The revelation was quick to provoke emotional responses online.

"Completely heartbroken," said one commenter on X. "Some of them were probably what, 16-24 years old? Condolences to those parents and family."

"Devastated by the loss of these great Americans," said another.

Update 01:53 AM EST: Search and rescue efforts will take multiple days

Ongoing search and rescue efforts are taking place in “dangerous” conditions, according to DC Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr.

“The challenges are access. The water that we’re operating in is about 8 feet deep, there is wind, there is pieces of ice out there so it’s just dangerous and hard to work in,” Donnelly said.

With the river water being dark and murky, it's a “tough condition” to dive in, he noted.

American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter outside of Washington, D.C.

Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images

A passenger plane crashed in the Potomac River after colliding midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.

At least 18 bodies have been retrieved so far from the Potomac River crash site, officials said. No survivors have been reported so far.

The deadly collision took place as the regional American Airlines jet was flying near Washington, D.C., carrying a confirmed 60 passengers and four crew members on board.

The American Airlines Flight 5342 had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was on its way to Reagan National Airport when the deadly collision took place.

"The accident happened in the river," a dispatcher was heard saying in scanner audio obtained from air traffic control. “Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river.”

Image credits: Jan Rosolino/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

Image credits: ranchorunner/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)

Heather Chairez, spokesperson for Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, said three soldiers were aboard the helicopter and were participating in a training flight when the collision took place.

“We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir during a training flight,” a military official told NBC News.

The flight was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while three soldiers were aboard the helicopter

Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

At least 18 bodies have been recovered from the river so far as search efforts continue.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed his “sorrow” for the crash victims and their families. He released a video message while gearing up to travel to Washington, D.C., to assess the situation.

He called it a “difficult day” for American Airlines, adding that their efforts are “focused entirely on the needs of [their] passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.”

“Members of our Go Team will be on their way to Washington, D.C. and I’ll be heading there shortly as well,” he added in the video message.

The US president called it a “terrible night” and said the helicopter was “going straight” for the plane.

At least 18 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River crash site

Image credits: aletweetsnews

Image credits: aletweetsnews

“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,” President Donald Trump wrote in a post shared on Truth Social.

“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,” he went on to say in the seemingly candid post.

“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” he added.

In another post on the social media platform, he added: “What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all.”

Image credits: FlightRadar24

Image credits: nicksortor

The collision is being investigated, and the official cause of the deadly crash has not yet been determined.

This is reportedly the first major U.S. commercial crash in more than 15 years. The last major U.S. commercial air crash took place in 2009, with 49 people being killed after a Continental Airlines flight crashed into a house while making its way to the airport in Buffalo, New York.