Politics
JUST IN: U.S. Athletes, Coaches Among Those On Crashed American Airlines Plane
Some of America’s most promising young athletes and their coaches are believed to be among those killed in a Wednesday night collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter above the main airport in Washington, D.C.
In a statement released by U.S. Figure Skating, several of its members were returning from the body’s national championship in Kansas and are believed to be dead. Family members were also reported to be aboard the jet, and the manifest listed 60 passengers in total.
Russian figure skaters were also likely killed in the crash, the Kremlin confirmed Thursday.
“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,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 World Championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were passengers, KSN reported.
“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.
The Skating Club of Boston lists both Shishkova and Naumov as skating coaches, the outlet added. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater as well.
The International Skating Union, another governing body, said it was “deeply saddened” by the loss of its young talents.
“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” the ISU said. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport—it’s a close-knit family—and we stand together. We remain in close contact with U.S. Figure Skating and offer our full support during this incredibly difficult time.”
Federal Aviation Administration officials said the crash occurred at approximately 9 p.m. EST while the American Airlines flight was preparing to land at Reagan International Airport. Officials at the control tower had directed the flight crew to land at runway 33 and were instructing the Army helicopter to travel behind the jet when the ground crew reported an explosion.
The U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, based in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was in the middle of a training exercise and carried three soldiers on board, all of whom are believed to have perished.
First responders combing the Potomac River for signs of life have all but given up, saying they believe no one survived the incident.
“We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” John Donnelly, Chief of the District of Columbia Fire Department, told media outlets, adding, “We don’t think there are any survivors from this accident.”
“Despite all these efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” he added.
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