Prayers to all the families on the American Flight and Blackhawk helicopter. Very sad situation.
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Figure skaters, their coaches and family members were passengers on an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
U.S. Figure Skating said the skaters were returning from a developmental camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships over the weekend in Wichita, Kansas.
"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.," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts."
U.S. Figure Skating did not identify any of the members of its team that were aboard the flight.
The flight carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while an Army official said three soldiers were onboard the helicopter. The airplane collided with the helicopter while attempting to land, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the Potomac River.
Washington fire chief John Donnelly said Thursday morning that it is not believed that there are any survivors and that efforts have shifted to a recovery operation. Donnelly said 27 bodies had been recovered from the airplane and one from the helicopter.
Two coaches who were on the flight were identified by the Kremlin as Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches, and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.
"There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday morning.
Russia's figure skating federation expressed its condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the crash but said it was unable to comment further.
Figure skaters among passengers in D.C. crash
Figure skaters, their coaches and family members were among 60 passengers on an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C. Officials said no survivors are expected.
Figure skaters on airplane that crashed in Washington, D.C.
- ESPN News Services
Figure skaters, their coaches and family members were passengers on an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
U.S. Figure Skating said the skaters were returning from a developmental camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships over the weekend in Wichita, Kansas.
"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.," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts."
U.S. Figure Skating did not identify any of the members of its team that were aboard the flight.
The flight carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while an Army official said three soldiers were onboard the helicopter. The airplane collided with the helicopter while attempting to land, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the Potomac River.
Washington fire chief John Donnelly said Thursday morning that it is not believed that there are any survivors and that efforts have shifted to a recovery operation. Donnelly said 27 bodies had been recovered from the airplane and one from the helicopter.
Two coaches who were on the flight were identified by the Kremlin as Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches, and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.
"There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday morning.
Russia's figure skating federation expressed its condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the crash but said it was unable to comment further.
