14 Members Of U.S. Figure Skating Team Onboard D.C. Plane: What We Know About The Crash Victims
by Siladitya Ray · ForbesTopline
American and Russian figure skaters—including two teenagers—were among the 60 passengers and four crew members onboard a passenger plane that collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter in a crash authorities believe no one survived.
Key Facts
Fourteen members of the U.S. Figure Skating team—not including parents and coaches—were on board the plane to Washington D.C. returning from a training camp that took place after the U.S. Championships in Kansas, Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said Thursday.
Six people associated with Zeghibe’s club in Norwood, Mass. were killed in the plane crash: skater Spencer Lane and his mother, Molly, skater Jinna Han and her mother, Jin, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, a married couple who were world champion pairs figure skaters from Russia in the 1990s.
In a statement to news outlets, U.S. Figure Skating confirmed “several members” of its community were on the plane.
At least three figure skaters from Russia, including Shishkova and Naumov, were onboard the aircraft, the Russian state-run TASS News agency reported.
The national steamfitters union on Thursday said four of its members were among those killed on the American Airlines jet plane, but did not identify any of the victims.
School Superintendent Aaron Spence from Louden County, Virginia said multiple former students were aboard the plane.
Overnight reports say first responders have managed to recover more than two dozen bodies from the river and, in a press conference Thursday morning, Washington’s Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said rescue personnel “don’t believe there are any survivors.”
What Do We Know About The American Figure Skating Victims?
U.S. Figure Skating has not released details about the identities of the skaters, coaches and family members on board the plane. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Thursday said, “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.” In a post on X, Luke Wang, the U.S. junior figure skating national champion for 2023–24, wrote, “Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to D.C. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
What Do We Know About The Russian Figure Skating Victims?
Russian state media reports identified 1994 figure skating pairs world champion duo Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov as two of the passengers on board the plane. When asked to comment about the reports of the Russian skaters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “This sad information is confirmed…our other compatriots were also there…bad news from Washington today.”
Who Are Evgenia Shishkova And Vadim Naumo?
Shishkova, 52, and Naumov, 55, a married couple, moved from Russia to the U.S. in 1998 to train as young ice skaters. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a former U.S. junior national figure skating champion and won 4th place at the U.S. men’s figure skating championships last weekend. Both Shishkova and Naumov are listed as ‘pairs coaches’ on the Skating Club of Boston’s website.
Crucial Quote
"Skating is a very close and tightknit community. These kids and their parents — they are here at our skating facility in Norwood six, sometimes seven days a week,” Zeghibe said. “It is a close, tight bond, and I think for all of us, we have lost family.”
Key Background
A passenger plane operated by PSA Airlines—a regional carrier owned by American Airlines—plunged into the Potomac River on Wednesday after an Army helicopter collided with it as the plane was landing at the Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. The Blackhawk helicopter, which had three military personnel onboard, also crashed into the river. The aircraft involved in the crash was a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet flying from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National. Details about the number of casualties have not been announced, but Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said: “The focus now is rescuing people, and that’s what all of our personnel are focused on.” However, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who spoke at a press conference alongside Bowser, indicated that there may be several fatalities. “When one person dies, it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow,” he said, without offering additional details.