US plane crash victims included teen figure skaters and Russian coaches

A plane crash occurred in Washington D.C., where an American Airlines aircraft collided with a military helicopter and plunged into the icy waters of the Potomac River, with little hope of survival for those on board. Among the victims were two 16-year-old figure skaters, their mothers, and two Russian coaches. According to officials, the bodies of 28 passengers have been recovered.

The Associated Press reported that there were 14 people from the skating community on board, including teenage skaters Spencer Lane and Kinna Hahn from Boston, along with their mothers, Christine Lane and Kim Hahn, as well as former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov from Russia. Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston, stated that they were returning from a national development training camp for promising young skaters after attending the U.S. Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

Mr. Zeghibe said, "The skating community is a very tight-knit community. These kids and their parents are at our training facility in Norwood six or seven days a week. The bonds they have are very strong." He added, "This event will have a profound impact on our skating community." The Kremlin also confirmed that Ms. Shishkova and Mr. Naumov were on the plane. Among their students was their 23-year-old son, Maxim, a former U.S. junior champion who had placed fourth in the national competition for the past three years, and whose parents had been present to watch him compete in Wichita.

Maxim Naumov had flown home on Monday, and Mr. Zeghibe said at a news conference at the rink, about 30 minutes south of Boston, "There was no reason for him to stay at the national development training camp. His parents were there with him during his competition." The cause of the accident is currently undetermined. Officials stated that the helicopter flew into the plane's path as it was making a normal landing from Wichita, at a time when flight conditions were good. U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement, "We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, their family, friends and coaches were also on board."

U.S. Figure Skating also stated, "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport, it is a close-knit family, and we stand together." The Skating Club of Boston is considered one of the most prestigious clubs in the world, having trained Olympic and world champions Dick Button and Tenley Albright, Olympic medalists Nancy Kerrigan and Paul Wylie, and numerous U.S. champions. Spencer Lane, a sectional champion, was popular on social media with thousands of TikTok followers. On Wednesday, he posted a video showcasing him landing a triple jump to conclude the training camp. In his Wednesday Instagram post he wrote, "I'm so happy I was able to qualify for the national development camp in early November. This has almost been a goal of mine ever since I realized it was a thing. I learned so much new stuff that I can apply to my everyday life and met so many amazing people." He later posted a photo of him on the plane about to leave Wichita.

"I am heartbroken to have lost my skating partners in this devastating accident," said current world champion Ilia Malinin, who won his third national title in Wichita. "The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is indescribable." Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov became coaches after moving to the United States, first at the International Skating Center of Connecticut, and since 2017 at the Boston club, which has been a training ground for world-class skaters since 1912. For the Boston club, the accident is a chilling reminder of a 1961 plane crash in which the entire U.S. delegation was killed en route to the World Championships in Prague.

The World Championships that year were canceled to commemorate the American team that was lost in the crash. Mr. Zeghibe said, "Almost half of the people on the plane were from this club. This has a profound impact on the skating club and the sport in this country, because when you lose coaches like this, you lose the future of the sport. It took a long time to rebuild the sport, and I personally feel like this club was just coming out of the shadow of that 1961 crash, almost 60 years later." This week, the European Championships are being held in Tallinn, Estonia, and are expected to continue as planned. The International Skating Union (ISU) said in a statement, "The International Skating Union and the global skating community are deeply shocked by the tragic accident involving an American Airlines flight in Washington, D.C. We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, their family, friends and coaches were also on board."

The ISU also stated, "We are in close contact with U.S. Figure Skating and offer our full support during this extremely difficult time." By late morning, flowers had already begun to arrive at the club's reception desk.