Elite American figure skaters were onboard the flight that suffered a midair collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday, the official American body for the sport said early Thursday.
Two Russian world champions were also among the passengers on the American Eagle flight, Russian state media reported.
U.S. Figure Skating said the athletes were returning from a training camp in Wichita, Kansas.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,” the sports body said in a statement.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” it added.
It was not immediately clear how many U.S. skaters were onboard the American Eagle Flight 5342 that was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, according to the airline’s parent company American Airlines.
The 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championship, which serves as the final qualifier for the U.S. World and Junior Championship teams, concluded on Sunday in Wichita and was immediately followed by the National Development Camp.
The camp serves as a launchpad for athletes vying for their spot on Team USA in upcoming world championships, consisting of top figure skaters.
“Athletes participate in a three-day educational training program to accelerate their exposure to High Performance Programs and Team USA,” U.S. Figure Skating says on its website.
“Athletes also have the opportunity to be selected for advanced novice and junior international competitions and other high performance programs and competitions at the conclusion of the camp.”
Russian world pairs figure skating champions, married couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also among the passengers, according to Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti. Both agencies cited an unnamed source in their reporting.
Shishkova, 52, and Naumov, 55, won the pairs figure skating event at the 1994 World Championship and the two had been living in the U.S. since 1998 following their retirement from competitive skating, according to TASS. They were working as coaches for skaters that included the Russian national team.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian nationals were onboard but did not specify whether Shishkova and Naumov were on the flight.
“Bad news from Washington today,” he told reporters in his daily news conference. “We grieve and console with the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash.”
“Sad news is being confirmed,” he said.
