The plane that crashed after colliding with a military helicopter near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night carried elite figure skaters, including several youth athletes, who were returning from a competition and training camp.
As reported by the Skating Club of Boston, a distinguished training organization that had sent many skaters to the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, around 14 of the 60 passengers on board were skaters, coaches, or their family members.
American Airlines Flight 5342 took off from Wichita on Wednesday evening and was approaching Reagan National Airport in Washington at approximately 9 p.m. local time when the fatal accident occurred. Authorities have indicated that there are likely no survivors.
The 2025 Prevagen Figure Skating Championships, serving as the final qualifier for the U.S. World and Junior Championship teams, took place in Wichita from January 20 to January 26. This event was succeeded by the National Development Camp, which U.S. Figure Skating characterizes as a three-day educational initiative designed for high-achieving youth athletes, with the objective of enhancing their engagement with High Performance Programs and Team USA.
Among those on the flight on Wednesday were attendees of the championships, including two young skaters from the Boston club: Spencer Lane and Jinna Han. Both teenagers were returning to Boston accompanied by their mothers.
Two coaches on the ill-fated flight, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were distinguished Russian figure skaters. The Boston Skating Club and the Kremlin both confirmed their tragic deaths on Thursday.
“The unfortunate news is accurate,” stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who also mentioned that an undisclosed number of other Russian nationals were on board the flight. “This is unfortunate news from Washington.” Naumov and Shishkova represented both the Soviet and Russian figure skating teams, achieving victory at the World Championships in pairs figure skating in 1994.
They relocated to the United States in 1998 and continued their involvement in the sport, serving as coaches at the Skating Club of Boston. Their 23-year-old son, Max, a figure skater who participated in the championship event, returned home safely on Monday, as reported by Zeghibe.
Both of his parents were present during his competition. It is widely recognized that his mother was often too anxious to observe him while skating, as noted by Zeghibe. Meanwhile, his father was situated in the ‘kiss-and-cry’ area, celebrating his impressive performance. Victims of the Plane Crash in the D.C. Area are Figure Skaters from both the U.S. and Russia
The crash on Wednesday brought to mind a tragic event from 1961, when a plane traveling from New York to Brussels went down during its approach, resulting in the deaths of 72 individuals on board, including the entire U.S. figure skating team, who were en route to a competition in Prague.
According to Zeghibe, that incident had significant repercussions for figure skating in the United States.
“When coaches of this caliber are lost, the future of the sport is also jeopardized,” he remarked. “I believe our current members, leaders, and management team are — I am uncertain how to describe it — perhaps wrecked? Or devastated? People are simply in shock.”
Following the tragic incident, several American figure skaters have shared their prayers and condolences, notably Ilia Malinin, the current world champion who achieved his third consecutive national title in Wichita on Sunday.
Malinin took to Instagram to express his concern, writing, “Praying that everyone is ok.” Furthermore, Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, issued a statement indicating that some individuals on board may have been Olympians.
He stated, “On behalf of the IOC, and personally, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to all those affected, which we understand may include Olympians, young athletes, and their support staff. Our thoughts are with all the victims, their families, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.