Latest news with #AmericanEagleFlightNo.5342
CBS News
07-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Olympic hopeful figure skaters in Colorado Springs move through grief, push ahead with training
Many athletes are in Colorado training for the chance to compete in the Winter Olympics in Italy next February, and among those are a pair of figure skaters in Colorado Springs who had never planned to be a team. They're now leaning on each other as they honor the memory of fellow skaters lost during a tragic passenger jet crash in Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. Six days a week, Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea can be found practicing at the World Arena Ice Hall at the Broadmoor and making sure every toss, jump and spin is fit for the world stage. "It's one of the things you dream about when you're a little kid," O'Shea said. "That's like, really what we want, but it's also terrifying," Kam said. Two years ago, Kam and O'Shea were looking at retiring from the sport when Kam's coach called O'Shea with an opportunity. "He was like, 'would you like work with Ellie a little bit? And I was like, 'Actually Drew, no I don't want to coach Ellie. How about we try it a different way?'" O'Shea said. So at 34 and 20 years old, the two have changed course and become a team. They're now competing in U.S. Figure Skating and Four Continents championships, and with each finish they get one step closer to an Olympic ticket. "I've attempted a few times already and and failed," O'Shea said. "As you get closer and closer to be considered it is, it is really an honor." But on their journey, their tight-knit skating community was rocked when American Eagle Flight No. 5342 crashed, killing coaches and young skaters on board. "We had just come from nationals and we had just seen everybody on that flight, and we had seen the coaches, and ... it was so heartbreaking," Kam said. Since the crash, many skaters have looked towards one another for support in their Colorado Springs community. They've been moving through grief as they continue to train together. "This one happened to hit home for us in a way that ... made you grateful for the opportunities that you have and try to carry them with us as we go through the rest of our season and career," O'Shea said. The next step for Kam and O'Shea is the figure skating world championships later this month. "We hope that we can still keep coming together, and the skating community is also growing smaller, so I hope that we can grow it and just make it bigger and stronger," Kam said. O'Shea said their "real goal is to step off the ice feeling like we gave this program all that it's due." "When you do that, you'll get the results you want, right?" O'Shea said.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘Celebration of Life' to honor Barrington teen, mom killed in D.C. plane crash is Sunday
The Lane family of Barrington in an undated photo shows from left to right, Milo, Douglas, Christine and Spencer. A celebration of life honoring Christine and Spencer is planned for Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Providence. (Courtesy of the Lane family) Colorful attire is not only welcomed, but encouraged at an upcoming event honoring Barrington teenager Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine Lane, who were killed in the D.C. plane crash last month. The 'celebration of life' is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, according to the obituaries for mother and son. Doors open at 1 p.m. 'Attendees are encouraged to dress comfortably and colorfully, as Christine loved bright colors and Spencer frequently and vocally expressed his disdain for formal dress,' the obituaries read. Spencer, 16, a figure skater, and Christine were traveling home from a U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas, when American Eagle Flight No. 5342 and a military helicopter collided outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 29. All 64 people on the plane, and the three on the U.S. Army Black Hawk were killed. The crash remains under federal investigation. On Tuesday, a Chicago law firm filed a $250 million legal claim against the federal government on behalf of the family of a Connecticut man who was killed in the crash, according to news reports. Ken Block, a neighbor of the Lane family acting as their spokesperson, said the family was focused on planning Sunday's event. He had not discussed the potential for legal action with the family, Block said in an interview Wednesday. The tragedy rocked the local community, including Barrington Public Schools, where Spencer attended until 2023, and the Skating Club of Boston, to which Spencer belonged. Another teenage skater, Jinna Han, a skating club member who lived in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and her mother Jin Han, were also killed in the crash, along with coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova. Christine and Spencer are survived by husband and father, Doug, and son and brother, Milo. Both Spencer and Milo were adopted from South Korea, and embraced Korean culture in their lives, including as participants in the Korean Adoptee Mentoring Program at Brown University, according to their obituaries. Spencer was known for his magnetic energy, a prolific social media presence and a gifted athlete who eschewed traditional sports for parkour, indoor rock climbing, and aerial silk acrobatics, according to his obituary. Inspired by the 2022 Winter Olympics, he began honing his craft and passion for figure skating at the ice skating rink in downtown Providence, eventually trading in snow pants and rental skates for private lessons in Warwick, and later, Boston with The Skating Club. He was invited to attend the prestigious U.S. Figure Skating training camp in Kansas based on his top performances, including a gold medal at the 2025 Eastern Sectionals. 'He spent his final week doing what he loved, surrounded by close friends and coaches from his beloved U.S. Figure Skating and Skating Club of Boston communities,' his obituary reads. Christine Lane was with her son at the skating camp for that final week. The 49-year-old Long Island native was known for her creative talents, both personal and professional: her early career as a graphic designer in Boston included award-winning work on multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns for Dunkin' Donuts and John Hancock, according to her obituary. In her free time, Christine loved photography, quilting, knitting, and home decorating. An animal lover, Christine volunteered with Rhode Home Rescue, a Warwick animal rescue nonprofit, while treasuring her own 'beloved' pets: dogs Harley and Charlee, and hedgehog Bobbin. She earned her real estate license in late 2024, and had just begun work as a sales agent with Residential Properties in Barrington in January. The Lane family has asked people to subscribe to an email newsletter in lieu of flowers or donations. The website, features an image of the foursome making funny faces, with the caption 'Beautiful Chaos.' 'In the immediate aftermath of the crash, a posed photo of my family dressed in blue seemed to be everywhere,' Doug Lane wrote below the photo. 'But the version above better reflects who we really were. Life was chaotic and messy at times. Maybe even most of the time. But it was also beautiful.' The website will serve as a place for family and friends to share photos and memories, and to plan a way to permanently honor the legacy of Spencer and Christine, according to the obituaries. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
CBS News
31-01-2025
- General
- CBS News
What we know about the American Airlines plane and Army helicopter crash over D.C.'s Potomac River
A passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair Wednesday and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. President Trump confirmed Thursday that there were no survivors. Many of the victims have yet to be publicly identified. The plane, American Eagle Flight No. 5342, a regional jetliner, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members on a flight from Wichita, Kansas. There were three soldiers aboard the U.S. Army's Sikorsky H-60, a Defense Department official told CBS News. At least 40 bodies had been recovered as of Thursday evening, a law enforcement source told CBS News. District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly earlier said that efforts at the scene had switched from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. Here's what we know so far about the crash: What happened? American Eagle Flight No. 5342, which was operated by PSA Airlines, collided midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter at around 9 p.m. Wednesday while approaching a runway at Reagan National Airport, the FAA said. The plane had taken off from Wichita, Kansas. American Eagle and PSA Airlines are subsidiaries of American Airlines. The helicopter involved in the collision was on a training flight and had belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Joint Task Force-National Capitol Region media chief Heather Chairez told CBS News. A livestream camera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., captured the moment of the collision. The video, which has been verified by CBS News, shows an explosion in the area of the Potomac River at 8:47 p.m. Eastern. What we know about the the search operation D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly told reporters in a news briefing Thursday morning that 27 bodies had been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter. He said, "We don't believe there are any survivors," adding that the efforts at the scene have switched from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. "It's a highly complex operation, the conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It's cold. They're dealing with relatively windy conditions," Donnelly said. CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Kris Van Cleave reported that human remains and debris were washing up on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. He said the plane broke into multiple pieces that were sitting in 5-8 feet of water. The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, commonly known as black boxes, have been recovered from the crashed plane, the NTSB confirmed. They will be analyzed at the NTSB lab, which is located about a mile from the crash site. Divers have had some access to the aircraft's cabin. Luggage is among items divers have recovered. The helicopter is upside down but appears to be mostly intact, Van Cleave added. What we know about the plane crash victims Top figure skaters from Russia and the United States — including 6 people with ties to the Skating Club of Boston — were among the victims. Athletes Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane, and skating coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were all on board the flight, said Doug Zeghibe, the skating club's CEO and executive director. They were returning home from the National Development Camp, which was held in connection with the recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. Spencer Lane's father, Rhode Island resident Douglas Lane, told CBS affiliate WPRI his 16-year-old son was a "force of nature" who picked up figure skating just three years ago and progressed rapidly. Douglas Lane described his wife, Christine, as a caring and creative person who excelled in graphic design, photography and quilting. Naumov and Shishkova, a couple, are Russian-born figure skaters who won the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship and had been coaching at the club. They shared a son, Maxim Naumov, who is a competitive skater on Team USA. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed earlier that Naumov and Shishkova were on the flight along with other Russian nationals. Another victim in the crash, Asra Hussain Raza, had recently relocated to Washington, D.C., for a consulting position and was traveling home from a work trip when the collision occurred, her father-in-law, Hashim Raza, told CBS News. The 26-year-old was a graduate of the University of Indiana and Columbia University, her father-in-law said. Four members of a Maryland-based labor union, the Steamfitters United Association Local 602, were also on the flight, union leaders said in a social media post Thursday. The union represents heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and process piping industries in the D.C. Metro area. The crew chief of the helicopter was identified as 29-year-old Ryan O'Hara, CBS News learned Thursday. O'Hara was a husband and father to a 1-year-old son, his local Reserve Officers' Training Corps program said in a social media post about his death. Politicians react to the crash President Trump addressed the crash during a briefing at the White House Thursday morning, where he confirmed that there were no survivors. "I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for our nation," Mr. Trump said. He also criticized the Biden administration and attacked diversity initiatives but offered no evidence linking the former president's policies to the crash. Mr. Trump, who claimed that he had increased standards for those who work within the aviation industry, announced he'd appointed Christopher Rocheleau as acting commissioner of the FAA. Mr. Trump said the investigation into the collision is ongoing and "we have some pretty good ideas" about what caused it. In an earlier statement, the president said, "Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise." And in a Truth Social post, he questioned what led up to the crash, writing, "This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!" Newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media that the Pentagon was actively monitoring the situation and "poised to assist if needed." Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said in a statement, "Tonight, we received devastating news of what can only be described as nothing short of a nightmare ... My prayer is that God wraps his arms around each and every victim, and that he continues to be with their families." Alexandria, Virginia, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said on social media, "Earlier this evening, we were devastated to learn of a tragic aviation incident near DCA. Our prayers are with everyone affected. Our fire, police, and emergency personnel are assisting in the regional response." Alexandria is just south of Reagan Washington National Airport. Sen. Tim Kaine, of Virginia, acknowledged "there's a lot of questions" about the deadly collision in its aftermath. "You can't tell a lot from video footage taken at night, but the footage raises a lot of questions about how this happened," Kaine told "CBS Mornings" Thursday. The first major U.S. commercial crash in almost 16 years The last major U.S. commercial air crash occurred in February 2009 when a Continental Airlines flight out of Newark, New Jersey, operated by Colgan Air crashed into a house as it was approaching the airport in Buffalo, New York. That plane was a Bombardier Q400. Forty-nine people died in the tragedy. Continental merged with United Airlines in 2010. The last major American Airlines crash occurred in November 2001 near John F. Kennedy International Airport. American Airlines Flight No. 587, an Airbus A300, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 265 people. It was bound for Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The plane crashed in the Belle Harbor area of the Rockaways in the New York City borough of Queens.
CBS News
30-01-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Chicago area figure skaters mourn friends who died when plane, helicopter collided over D.C.
BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. (CBS) -- The plane that crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. after colliding in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night was transporting some passengers returning home from a development camp held in connection with the U.S. Figure Skating championships. The tragedy has had a massive impact on Chicago's figure skating community. The first thing Chicago area figure skaters said Thursday was that they were in shock. The athletes are all in group chats and follow each other on social media, so it didn't take long to figure out that American Eagle Flight No. 5342 was carrying their friends home from the event they all attended in Wichita, Kansas. "Skating is a very small, tight-knit community," said skater Rebecca Lichtman. "We're all around each other. There are a lot of connections with one another." Lichtman said it is emotional when she takes the ice at her home rink in Buffalo Grove, wearing the jacket she received while at that same National Development Camp in Wichita earlier this week. It was held in connection with the recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and many of the skating families overlapped at the events. Lichtman shared a photo of her training squad with her arm around Alydia Livingston — who was killed in the plane crash. Another photo showing the Chicago area kids at the development camp was shared on Instagram by 16-year-old Spencer Lane. He was also killed in the crash. A video with Spencer showed another victim, Franco Aparicio. In another photo, Jiaying Ellyse Johnson of North Barrington smiled with Jinna Han from Boston. The two were expecting to see each other again next week, but Han too was killed in the plane crash. "I've never went through something like this. This is completely new to me," said Johnson, "and I'm trying my best to handle it and just like keep their families in their prayers and in my thoughts." At least two of the skaters practicing in Buffalo Grove on Thursday were set to flay to a training camp in Boston on Sunday. That rink in Boston is Han and Lane's home rink. The Chicago area skaters said they don't know how they'll feel when they get to Boston, but they know their friends loved the sport — and they see visiting the rink for the training camp as a way to honor them.
Axios
30-01-2025
- General
- Axios
What to know about the victims of the D.C. plane crash
No survivors are expected after an American Airlines passenger flight collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter late Wednesday night near Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. The big picture: While the cause of the crash remains unknown, details are slowly emerging about the victims aboard the aircrafts. American Eagle Flight No. 5342 had 64 people on board while the helicopter was carrying three soldiers. John Donnelly, chief of D.C. Fire and EMS, said at a press conference Thursday morning that 28 bodies had been recovered from the Potomac River so far. State of play: The flight was en route from Wichita, Kansas to Washington, D.C. when it collided with the helicopter. Officials said Thursday that there had been nothing unusual about the flight paths for each aircraft leading up to the collision, nor was there a breakdown in communications. The United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters confirmed Thursday that four of its members were aboard the American Airlines flight, though it did not reveal the victims' identities. Virginia's Loudon County Public Schools confirmed Thursday that "multiple victims were former LCPS students." Fairfax County Public Schools similarly said it had "lost members" of its community in the incident. U.S. Figure Skating confirmed in a statement that "several members" of its community had been aboard the airplane, including "athletes, coaches, and family members." The American Airlines flight attendants were based out of Charlotte, an Association of Flight Attendants spokesperson confirmed to Axios. Zoom in: Doug Zeghibe, the CEO of the Skating Club of Boston, confirmed at a press conference Thursday that "to the best of their knowledge" 14 skaters were on board the flight, returning home from a development camp put on by U.S. Figure Skating in Wichita. Of the 14, six people were affiliated with the club, including two coaches, two teenage athletes and two parents, Zeghibe said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Telegram that Russian figure skaters and other citizens were on board. Russian state news agency TASS reported that there might have been coaches of Russian origin on board as well. Here's what we know about the victims so far: Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov The two Russian skaters aboard the American Airlines flight were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, TASS reported. The pair were married and former world champions, having won the pair title in 1994. They competed together at the Olympics in 1992 and 1994. After marrying in 1995, the pair moved to the U.S. in 1998 to coach at the International Skating Center in Connecticut, per Radio Free Europe. The Skating Club of Boston lists both Shishkova and Naumov as coaches. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a skater at the club, but returned home earlier in the week, Zeghibe said. Jinna Han and Jin Han Jinna Han was one of the athletes aboard the American Airlines flight, the Boston Skating Club confirmed Thursday. Zeghibe described her as a "wonderful kid" and a "great competitor" who was "loved by all." Her mother, Jin Han, was accompanying her during her time at the development camp and was also killed in the crash. Spencer Lane and Christie Lane Spencer Lane was another skater from the Boston Skating Club who died in the crash. Lane was a "highly talented" skater "rocketing to the top of the sport," Zeghibe said. His mother, Christine Lane, was also among the victims. Inna Volyanskaya Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam confirmed on X Thursday that one of his constituents, Inna Volyanskaya, was aboard the American Airlines flight. Volyanskaya was a coach at the Washington Figure Skating Club, which said in a statement Thursday that it was "devastated" to hear of the crash but did not confirm details about any potential victims. Inna Volyanskaya was a former professional skater who had competed for the Soviet Union, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Sam Lilley One of the American Eagle flight pilots was 28-year-old Sam Lilley, his father Timothy Lilley told FOX 5 Atlanta. Sam Lilley had started his pilot training in 2019 and was engaged to be married. "This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life," his father said. Ian Epstein Ian Epstein was one of the American Airlines crew members who died, his family said on Facebook. The identities of the other crew members are still unknown. Michael Stovall and Jesse Pitcher Michael Stovall, 40, and Jesse Pitcher, 30 were on a hunting trip with their friends in Kansas, the New York Times reported. Stovall was a steamfitter and Pitcher owned a plumbing business. "He said he'd see me when he got back," Pitcher's father, Jameson Pitcher, told the NYT. Go deeper: D.C. plane crash: What we know about the collision as all passengers feared dead Editor's note: This story will be updated with additional information as it is available.
