Determine skaters and coaches coming back from the current U.S. nationwide championships had been aboard the American Airways flight that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter close to Reagan Nationwide Airport on Wednesday, officers mentioned.
The U.S. Determine Skating group confirmed that “a number of members” of the skating neighborhood had been aboard American Airways Flight 5342 which took off from Wichita, Kansas, and crashed approaching Reagan Nationwide Airport after colliding with a helicopter shortly earlier than 9 p.m.
“These athletes, coaches, and members of the family had been returning dwelling from the Nationwide Improvement Camp held along with the U.S. Determine Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the group mentioned.
Emergency models reply to airplane wreckage within the Potomac River close to Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia
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“We’re devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and maintain the victims’ households intently in our hearts,” the group mentioned. “We are going to proceed to observe the scenario and can launch extra data because it turns into accessible.”
There have been 60 passengers and 4 crew members aboard the jet and three personnel aboard the Military helicopter, which officers mentioned was on a coaching flight on the time of the crash.
Officers haven’t publicly confirmed the variety of fatalities within the crash.
Emergency models reply to airplane wreckage within the Potomac River close to Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photos
At an early Thursday morning information convention, officers mentioned they had been persevering with search-and-rescue operations within the icy Potomac River however didn’t say whether or not anybody had been pulled from the water alive, or affirm any deaths.
In the meantime, Russian media reported that two Russian determine skaters had been on board the American Airways flight, and the presidential spokesman expressed condolences to the households and associates of these killed within the aircraft crash.
FILE PHOTO: Russia’s Vadim Naumov lifts up his associate Evgenia Shishkova in the course of the free skating to win the pairs occasion of the NHK Trophy determine skating grand prix in Nagoya, central Japan December 9, 1995. REUTERS/Kimimasa Mayama/File Picture
Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters
“There have been different of our fellow residents there. Unhealthy information from Washington at this time,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Thursday morning.
Earlier, a number of Russian state media shops reported that the 1994 world determine skating champions in pairs, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, had been on board the aircraft, although U.S. authorities haven’t confirmed these experiences.
Oklahoma Metropolis determine skating coach Jackie Brenner was in Wichita with the skaters, coaches and officers who had been aboard the flight.
“I used to be there on Sunday at a training workshop, which was the primary day of U.S. determine skating improvement camp as they had been coming into their two days of coaching,” Brenner mentioned. “Enormous pleasure within the area and foyer of all these households.”
The U.S. Determine Skating neighborhood has been struck by tragedy in a aircraft crash earlier than. In February 1961, a complete U.S. determine skating staff died in a aircraft crash on Feb. 15, 1961. The aircraft, Sabena Flight 548, was carrying the staff to the World Determine Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Together with the staff, 16 members of the family, coaches and associates of the skaters died within the crash.
