U.S. Figure Skaters Among Passengers on Fatal American Airlines Flight
Originally appeared on E! Online
U.S. and Russian figure skaters are among the passengers feared dead after a mid-air collision in the Washington, D.C. area.
American Eagle Flight 5342—a plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members aboard—and a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air over the Potomac River on the evening of Jan. 29. As of publishing time, 28 bodies have been recovered during search operations thus far, NBC News Washington reported, citing two sources familiar with the search efforts.
The U.S. Figure Skating organization confirmed that those onboard Flight 5342 included American athletes, coaches and family members who were returning home from the National Figure Skating Camp which was held in Wichita, Kansas, in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
'We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts,' their statement obtained by NBC News read. 'We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.'
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According to Russian media outlets, Russian world skating champions Evgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, who were working as national team coaches for Russia, were also onboard.
"Bad news from Washington today," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in his daily news conference, per NBC News. "We grieve and console with the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash."
The mid-air collision occurred as the passenger aircraft was approaching the runway in D.C., hours after departing Wichita, earlier in the day, according to NBC News. Before landing, the aircraft collided with the Black Hawk midair before 9 p.m., with both aircrafts plunging into the icy Potomac River.
As of Jan. 30, the efforts turned from a search and rescue mission to a recovery mission, as there are no suspected survivors.
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