Top figure skaters and their coaches were among those who were on an American Airlines flight that crashed Wednesday night near Washington, D.C.
The airplane collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter close to Ronald Reagan National Airport, and both fell into the Potomac River.
It was unknown if anyone survived the crash. The airplane held four crew members and 60 passengers, and the helicopter had three people on board.
U.S. Figure Skating issued a statement early Thursday morning that read, “U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C. These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships ran from Jan. 20 through Sunday, though many skaters remained afterward for the advanced training camp, Team USA pair skater Luke Wang told McClatchy News.
Wang, a 20-year-old pairs skater from the Baltimore area, tweeted, “praying for all those on the flight from wichita to dc. among the passengers were skaters and coaches. absolutely heartbreaking.”
–Field Level Media
