In the late evening hours on Wednesday, American Airlines Flight 5342, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, near Ronald Reagan National Airport. The crash promoted a massive response in the nearby Potomac River.
The U.S. Figure Skating organization has since confirmed that “several” American figure skaters, coaches, and family members, who were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, were among those 60 passengers who died.
“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.” the organization said in a statement, via ABC News. “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.”
In addition to members of the U.S. figure skating team, two Russian figure skaters were also onboard the flight.
“There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
ESPN reports that there were “multiple causalities” in the crash, but exact numbers were unavailable as crews continue their search-and-rescue efforts.
“We are going to recover our fellow citizens,” District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press briefing.
The crash occurred just three miles south of the White House in some of the most monitored airspace in the world.
