American skater Anton Spiridonov rejected claims suggesting he was on board the commercial jet who collided in Midair with an army helicopter on Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
“Russian news sites have included me on a list of suspected people on the flight from Wichita to Washington DC,” the skater shared on Instagram.
“I wasn’t on this flight, thanks for everyone’s concern for my security. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this tragedy.”
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Anton Spiridonov arches after ice skating in the Free Dance Competition championship during the American art skating in SAP Center in San Jose, California, January 28, 2023. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports)
Spiridonov won the silver medal at the World University Games in 2023. He also ended the sixth at the US Championships that year. Spiridonov also paid tribute to his father’s former “ice skating partner”, Inna Volyskaya.
“Dads Skating Partner,” he wrote on a post for his Instagram story. “Rest in peace, Inna.”
Live Updates: American Airlines Plane, Army Helicopter collides outside Reagan National Airport near Washington DC
Flight 5342 transported 60 passengers and four crew members according to a statement from American Airlines. The flight started from an airport in Wichita, Kansas.
Authorities confirmed that there were three US service members aboard the Army Black Hawk helicopter when the plane left the Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The airport is around 15 miles southwest of the Reagan Washington National.
Ericed units respond to the crash site of an American Airlines aircraft and Black Hawk Helicopter on the Potomac River in Arlington, VA., Thursday, January 30, 2025. (Leigh Green for Pakinomist Digital)
The passenger jet and the military helicopter both crashed into the Potomac River as the commercial aircraft approached one of the airport’s runways. At a news conference on Thursday morning, officials confirmed that 27 organs from the aircraft and one from the Black Hawk helicopter had been drawn from the freedom waters.
American art skating released a statement confirming that “More members of our skating” were aboard the flight. The organization said they returned from a development camp after the US Art Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which ended Sunday.
