Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Two former Russian Olympians and American teens Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were among 14 members of the ice skating community killed when their plane collided with an Army helicopter in Washington, officials said Thursday.

Airline executives have pushed the government to modernize air traffic control and alleviate congestion in some of the busiest air corridors in the U.S.

Passengers aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River included teen figure skaters, their mothers and Russian coaches. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight on Wednesday and three soldiers aboard the training flight on the Blackhawk helicopter. Hope of rescuing any survivors evaporated by daybreak. “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital, on Thursday morning. “We don’t believe there are any…

The two Russian figure skating coaches killed in the American Airlines plane crash in D.C. were two-time Olympians and former world champions in the pairs event who went on to coach in New England.

Officials believe everyone aboard the plane and helicopter involved in the crash were killed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A crash between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter has killed teen figure skaters returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches, as well as a group of union steamfitters from the Washington, D.C. area.They were among 60 travelers and four crew members on board the flight late Wednesday when it collided with a Blackhawk helicopter that was carrying three soldiers. It appears all on board both aircraft were killed when the plane and helicopter collided over the Potomac River, officials say. Authorities were searching for remains Thursday as communities grieved. Skating organizations in Philadelphia and the Washington area also said some of their young athletes had been aboard the plane.“A lot of us are in a great deal of pain and a lot of us are in a great deal of disbelief,” said Adam Blake, a Boston-based choreographer for Disney on Ice who knew the passengers from the Skating Club of Boston. “My heart is breaking 10 times over,” he said. Several athletes on the…

Several figure skaters, including two-time Olympian Tonya Harding, have spoken out on the fatal plane crash near Washington, D.C., where several members of U.S. Figure Skating are feared dead.

Several members of U.S. Figure Skating are believed to be the victims of a fatal plane collision that took place later Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.

Officials believe everyone aboard the plane and helicopter involved in the crash were killed.