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Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
American Airlines Crash: How U.S. Figure Skating Honored Victims
Originally appeared on E! Online U.S. Figure Skating is mourning an unimaginable loss. After 28 figure skaters, coaches and family members died on American Airlines flight 5342 to Washington, D.C., following a collision with a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River Jan. 29, the sport's national governing body paid tribute to the lives lost. In a Feb. 3 Instagram video, U.S. Figure Skating shared a glimpse into the athletes, aged 11 to 16, and their families who accompanied them following the National Development Camp in Wichita, Kan. Short clips of the skaters played as their names appeared onscreen, including 11-year-old Angela Yang and Sean Kay performing on the ice and high-fiving each other after. (Angela and Sean's moms Zheheng Li and Yulia Kay were also on board.) In another clip, 15-year-old Cory Haynos completed a camel spin on the ice and made a heart sign to the camera afterward. (His parents Stephanie Haynos and Roger Haynos were among the victims.) Skating coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shiskova, who wed in 1995, were also highlighted, along with coaches Inna Volyanskaya and Alexandr Kirsanov. More from E! Online Allison Holker Alleges Stephen 'tWitch' Boss 'Spent Recklessly on Drugs,' Left $1 Million Tax Bill Grammys 2025: Jada Pinkett Smith Reacts to Son Jaden Smith's Polarizing House Hat Michelle Williams Details Quitting Broadway Show After 2 Weeks to Seek Treatment for Depression 'Honoring those we tragically lost,' the caption read alongside a black heart emoji. 'Their memory will live on forever.' As victims' families continue to mourn the heartbreaking collision—which killed all 60 passengers and four crew members on the jet, along with the three passengers on the Black Hawk helicopter—they also reflected on their lives. Andrew Beyer, whose 12-year-old daughter Brielle and his wife Justyna were on the flight, shared insight into their child's battle with cancer at 4 months old. 'She was just such a fighter in everything she did," he told ABC News. 'She just lived life to the fullest with everything.' 'She was so proud of herself in figure skating for the progress she had made,' he continued. 'Making that team was one of her life goals. And she achieved it. And she was just so, so proud of herself.' The family of Spencer Lane, 16, whose mother Christine Lane also died onboard, described the aspiring Olympian as a 'force of nature.' 'You simply could not stop him if he decided he wanted to do something,' Spencer's dad Doug Lane said in a statement. 'There is no better example of this than his remarkable skating journey, which we are heartbroken to see end too soon. He truly loved it, and his ascent from basic Learn to Skate classes to U.S. Figure Skating's National Development Team in just a few short years was unprecedented.' Other figure skating victims included Jinna Han, 13; Jin Han; Everly Livingston, 14; Alydia Livingston, 11; Pete Livingston; Donna Livingston; Franco Aparicio; Luciano Aparicio; Olivia Eve Ter, 12; Oleysa Taylor; Edward Zhou, 16; Joe Zhou; and Kaiyan Zhou. Keep reading to learn more about the tragic collision. What Happened to the Passengers on American Airlines Flight 5342?Who Was Onboard American Airlines Flight 5342?Who Was Onboard the U.S. Army Helicopter Involved in the Collision?What Happens Next After Recover Efforts for American Airlines Flight 5342?Who Has Spoken Out After American Airlines Flight 5342 Crashed Into the Potomac River? For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
The Independent
04-02-2025
- General
- The Independent
Bodies of all 67 victims of DC plane crash have been recovered from Potomac River
The remains of all 67 people who were killed in the Washington, D.C. plane crash last week have been recovered, authorities announced Tuesday, adding that all but one of the victims has been positively identified. 'This marks a significant step in bringing closure to the families and the community,' said a statement by the operation's Unified Command. The Washington, D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is working to identify the final crash victim. The victims were killed Wednesday night when a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter operated by three soldiers collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 as it descended into Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia around 9 p.m. The plane was en route from Wichita, Kansas with 64 people on board. No one survived the collision. The accident is the deadliest American aviation disaster in 15 years. Investigators on Monday recovered the aft fuselage, right engine and right pylon of the airplane. Authorities previously said they would need to recover additional parts of the aircrafts to locate all remains. Officials now will work to clear the remainder of the wreckages from the Potomac River, where the jet operated by American Airlines and Army helicopter went down. Salvage operations are ongoing with a commitment to the dignified recovery of any additional remains, authorities said. Anyone who finds parts of the plane or belongings washed up on Potomac or Anacostia River shorelines is asked to call 911. People are asked not to touch the items as they can be critical in supporting impacted families as well as the investigation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving will hoist major components of the regional jet from the water through Wednesday. Once that's complete, efforts will shift to recovering additional wreckage from the Black Hawk helicopter. The National Transportation Safety Board, the lead investigative agency, is working to determine the cause of the accident. A preliminary report is due 30 days from the date of the incident. Several people on board the flight belonged to figure skating communities near Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts. Many of the victims were children and their parents who were returning to the area after participating in the National Development Camp in Wichita, which brings together about 150 young skaters annually. Other victims belonged to the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters in Maryland. Authorities said there was a delay in identifying the victims because some of their next of kin reside overseas. Families had been asked to come to the airport to identify their loved ones' remains.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Glenview athlete competed in Wichita before ice skaters who died in D.C. plane crash
As two professional skaters warmed up for their solo exhibitions Saturday at the Glenview Community Ice Center, there was a sense of quiet despite the laughter of children and families enjoying ice bumper cars and other activities at Glenview's Winterfest. It was the first time one of the skaters, Alexa Gasparotto, would perform to a public audience since competitively skating in Wichita at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships 2025, where she placed in both the Women's Free Skate on Jan. 24 and the Women's Short Program on Jan. 23. Only days after her success at the figure skating nationals, many young skaters who had also been in Wichita, and possibly seen Gasparotto skate, were flying to Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. on American Eagle Flight 5342 when it crashed into an Army helicopter Jan. 29 and all on board were killed. 'I feel like from here on, every performance is dedicated to each of the skaters that were lost on the flight,' said Gasparotto, of Glenview, softly before performing her solo. 'I feel like for the whole skating community, that's a no brainer,' Gasparotto said. 'Every skater's mind is going to be like, 'Okay now when I skate, it's going to be for them.'' Josh Fischel, a figure skating coach at the Glenview Ice Center and also a Team USA figure skating coach, said the figure skating world is small and that he, and other skaters, knew many of those who perished in the crash. He knew coaches Vadim Naumov and his wife Evgenia Shishkova, who died in the crash. The Russia-born couple won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan and also competed twice in the Olympics. Another Glenview coach, Nicole Maguire, knew Aleksandr 'Sasha' Kirsanov, an ice dancer and University of Delaware figure skating coach, who also perished. U.S. Figure Skating, the governing body of the sport, said 28 from the figure skating community, including skaters, parents and coaches, lost their lives in the collision. Authorities have said there were a total of 67 victims of the disaster. The skaters on the doomed plane had been attending U.S. Figure Skating's National Development Camp, which was started in 2020 to allow about 150 young skaters at the juvenile, intermediate and novice levels who excelled at the U.S. Sectionals finals to sharpen and polish their skills in a collegial atmosphere, according to the U.S. Figure Skating website. It also said the National Development Camp immediately follows, and is held in conjunction with, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which were held Jan. 20-26. Fischel said skaters enter the juvenile level at around age 10 or 11, and that it contains girls under 13 and boys under 14. 'I believe the intermediate level caps out at 18,' he said, adding that those who go to the National Development Camp are usually about age 13 to 15. Skaters at the novice level may range from about 14 to 16, he said. 'The connections in Chicago to the passengers who passed are extensive,' Fischel said. 'So many of the elite athletes in Chicago have competed against these young skaters as they all travel across the country to do various events.' Kayla Lindgren, general manager of the Glenview Community Ice Center, said, 'The tragedy of American Airlines Flight 5342 touched multiple skaters and coaches at the Glenview Community Ice Center,' adding that many coaches and skaters knew or had skated alongside the victims. Recovery work resumes at the site of the deadly plane and chopper collision near Washington Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy provided therapy dogs last week and this week to help skaters as they grieve, she said, and the center is also working with Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook to bring therapists on-site for anyone wanting to talk. Lindgren also said the Glenview Ice Center is celebrating Gasparotto's victory. 'We are privileged to have Alexa 'Lexi' Gasparotto as one of our talented Glenview Park District Skating Academy coaches at the Glenview Community Ice Center,' she commented. 'This year, Lexi was celebrated as the first African American woman to land a triple axel, and qualified for U.S. Figure Skating Nationals in Wichita, Kansas. The Park District and the Glenview Community Ice Center are incredibly proud of Lexi and her figure skating journey.'
Chicago Tribune
04-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Glenview athlete competed in Wichita before ice skaters who died in D.C. plane crash
As two professional skaters warmed up for their solo exhibitions Saturday at the Glenview Community Ice Center, there was a sense of quiet despite the laughter of children and families enjoying ice bumper cars and other activities at Glenview's Winterfest. It was the first time one of the skaters, Alexa Gasparotto, would perform to a public audience since competitively skating in Wichita at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships 2025, where she placed in both the Women's Free Skate on Jan. 24 and the Women's Short Program on Jan. 23. Only days after her success at the figure skating nationals, dozens of young skaters who had also been in Wichita, and possibly seen Gasparotto skate, were flying to Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. on American Eagle Flight 5342 when it crashed into an Army helicopter Jan. 29 and all on board were killed. 'I feel like from here on, every performance is dedicated to each of the skaters that were lost on the flight,' said Gasparotto, of Glenview, softly before performing her solo. 'I feel like for the whole skating community, that's a no brainer,' Gasparotto said. 'Every skater's mind is going to be like, 'Okay now when I skate, it's going to be for them.'' Josh Fischel, a figure skating coach at the Glenview Ice Center and also a Team USA figure skating coach, said the figure skating world is small and that he, and other skaters, knew many of those who perished in the crash. He knew coaches Vadim Naumov and his wife Evgenia Shishkova, who died in the crash. The Russia-born couple won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan and also competed twice in the Olympics. Another Glenview coach, Nicole Maguire, knew Aleksandr 'Sasha' Kirsanov, an ice dancer and University of Delaware figure skating coach, who also perished. U.S. Figure Skating, the governing body of the sport, said 28 from the figure skating community, including skaters, parents and coaches, lost their lives in the collision. Authorities have said there were a total of 67 victims of the disaster. The skaters on the doomed plane had been attending U.S. Figure Skating's National Development Camp, which was started in 2020 to allow about 150 young skaters at the juvenile, intermediate and novice levels who excelled at the U.S. Sectionals finals to sharpen and polish their skills in a collegial atmosphere, according to the U.S. Figure Skating website. It also said the National Development Camp immediately follows, and is held in conjunction with, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which were held Jan. 20-26. Fischel said skaters enter the juvenile level at around age 10 or 11, and that it contains girls under 13 and boys under 14. 'I believe the intermediate level caps out at 18,' he said, adding that those who go to the National Development Camp are usually about age 13 to 15. Skaters at the novice level may range from about 14 to 16, he said. 'The connections in Chicago to the passengers who passed are extensive,' Fischel said. 'So many of the elite athletes in Chicago have competed against these young skaters as they all travel across the country to do various events.' Kayla Lindgren, general manager of the Glenview Community Ice Center, said, 'The tragedy of American Airlines Flight 5342 touched multiple skaters and coaches at the Glenview Community Ice Center,' adding that many coaches and skaters knew or had skated alongside the victims. Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy provided therapy dogs last week and this week to help skaters as they grieve, she said, and the center is also working with Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook to bring therapists on-site for anyone wanting to talk. Lindgren also said the Glenview Ice Center is celebrating Gasparotto's victory. 'We are privileged to have Alexa 'Lexi' Gasparotto as one of our talented Glenview Park District Skating Academy coaches at the Glenview Community Ice Center,' she commented. 'This year, Lexi was celebrated as the first African American woman to land a triple axel, and qualified for U.S. Figure Skating Nationals in Wichita, Kansas. The Park District and the Glenview Community Ice Center are incredibly proud of Lexi and her figure skating journey.'
CNN
31-01-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Figure skaters killed in plane crash include world champions and young athletes in a tragic case of déjà vu
Once again, figure skaters representing the past, present and future of the sport perished in a catastrophic plane crash – devastating a global community far too familiar with tragedy. No one survived the midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter Wednesday night, authorities said. '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.,' read a statement from the organization, America's governing body for figure skating. '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.' US Figure Skating has not confirmed the total number of skaters killed. But a married pair of skating champions, two young skaters and their mothers were among those lost in the plane crash, the Skating Club of Boston said Thursday. The multigenerational loss evoked painful memories of the 1961 plane crash that killed 73 people – including all 18 members of the US figure skating team headed to the world figure skating championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. That disaster killed not just elite athletes but also their coaches, leaving seismic voids in US figure skating for generations to come. Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov broke the mold of serious, stoic Russian pairs teams and earned legions of fans worldwide. Their cheerful, tongue-in-cheek performance won the 1994 world championships. Like many top Russian skaters in the 1990s, Shishkova and Naumov moved to the US and became coaches. The couple is survived by a son, 23-year-old Maxim Naumov, a US men's figure skater who just earned fourth place at the national championships on Sunday. Shishkova, Naumov and their son represented the Skating Club of Boston, which also lost several other members in the crash. The tragedy will have a profound impact on the world figure skating championships in March, which will take place in Boston. A longtime friend of the couple, renowned figure skating coach Rafael Arutyunyan, said Shishkova and Naumov 'were very nice people, very good professionals and very good people.' 'I cannot believe they don't exist in this world anymore,' he told CNN. 'All of our community was respectful to them and liked them, so I feel they'll stay with us forever.' Arutyunyan's skaters practiced in silence on Thursday as a tribute to the victims. After the 1961 crash, it became common for teams to not travel together, said Arutyunyan, who's coached Olympic medalists Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Nathan Chen. He said he hopes athletes and coaches will travel less. 'We are responsible for our kids,' Arutyunyan said. Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane, were also killed in the crash, the Skating Club of Boston said. Jinna Han passed US Figure Skating's highest-level skills test with honors in 2023. Spencer Lane won this season's Eastern Sectional competition in the intermediate division. 'We watched Jinna just grow up here – from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13-year-old who you wouldn't think was 13,' said Doug Zeghibe, executive director of the Skating Club of Boston. He described the teen as 'a great performer, a great competitor, and a great kid.' Spencer, 16, posted one of the last photos from inside the plane before it collided with the military helicopter. Before the plane took off, he captured a photo of the right wing and captioned it 'ICT -> DCA' – the airport codes for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Jinna and Spencer were among the young skaters who attended the National Development Camp after the US championships last weekend to work with coaches and top skaters, CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan said. 'So this is US figure skating's future,' Brennan said. 'This would be the young teenagers who we would expect to see bubble to the surface, rise up and compete moving forward, even to the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.' Famous members and alumni of the Boston skating club, including Nancy Kerrigan and Dr. Tenley Albright, wept as they visited the rink to support each other Thursday. 'We came here because we needed to be together,' said Albright, the first US woman to capture Olympic skating gold in 1956. 'We're family … and the skaters and the people who were on that plane, they're our family, too.' Albright lost more than a dozen friends in the 1961 plane crash. She, too, had considered flying to Czechoslovakia. 'But I was in my last year of medical school and couldn't go,' the skating icon said. Six decades of processing that tragedy hasn't prepared her to handle this week's devastation. 'I don't know how to handle this,' the 89-year-old said. Kerrigan, a two-time Olympic medalist, said she was stunned to learn she knew some of the people on the plane. 'The kids here really work hard. Their parents work hard to be here,' Kerrigan said, visibly emotional. 'I feel for the athletes, the skaters and their families, but (also for) anyone that was on that plane – not just the skaters – because it's such a tragic event.' Skaters and coaches still talk about the disaster that killed the entire 1961 US world team. The talent included US ice dance champions Diane Carol Sherbloom and Larry Pierce; Olympic pairs skaters Maribel Yerxa Owen and Dudley Shaw Richards; and Owen's mother, renowned coach Maribel Yerxa Vinson-Owen. In honor of those victims, US Figure Skating established a memorial fund that has given 'more than $20 million in financial support to thousands of athletes for skating-related and academic expenses,' according to the group's website. Now, 'this sport is dealing with another tragedy of this magnitude involving air travel,' Brennan said. And once again, the disaster cut short young athletes' lives, 'their hopes and their dreams to represent the United States in international competition and the Olympics.'
