The US Art Skating Lead Serious Loss Wednesday Night when six people with ties to the Skating Club of Boston were aboard a passenger aircraft when it collided with a US army helicopter.
Officials said on Thursday that there were no survivors from the crash and that the mission went from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. Nearly 30 bodies were drawn from the Potomac River.
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A US police helicopter flies across the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)
Skating Club in Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe identified them with ties to the club as athletes, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, two coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, and Jin Han, mother of Jinna and Molly Lane, mother of Spencer, were identified as the victims with Ribbon to Skate Club.
“Our sport and this club have suffered a terrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe said in a statement sent to social media. “Skating is a densely composed society where parents and children gather 6 of 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. By skaters, coaches and parents in the plane, we think six were from the skating club by Boston .
LIVE UPDATIONS: Military Helicopter clashes by air near Reagan National Airport
Organs are on the ground next to emergency vehicles, near the site of the crash, after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter as he approached Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River outside Washington, DC, on January. 30, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
“These athletes, coaches, parents returned from us art skating national development camp after last week’s US championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow compete at the US championships.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, confirmed earlier Thursday that Naumov and Shishkova were among them aboard the plane.
Naumov and Shishkova competed in pairs during their careers. They won a couple of title at the World Cup in 1994 and competed at winter -ol twice at winter.
American art skating said there were also members of its organization on board.
“The US Art Skating can confirm that several members of our skating were unfortunately aboard the American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided by a helicopter last night in Washington, DC“said the organization earlier Thursday.” These athletes, coaches and family members returned from the national development camp held in connection with the US art skating races in Wichita, Kansas.
“We are destroyed by this indescribable tragedy and keep the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information when it becomes available.”
The international skating said it was “deeply shocked” over the incident.
Rescuers on boats work as the sun rises on the spot of the crash after a black Hawk helicopter collided with American Eagle Flight 5342, which approached Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River outside Washington, DC, 30 . , 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport-it is a close-up family and we stand together,” the organization said.
