RISING star ice skaters, their mothers, and world champion coaches are among the first victims to be named in the horrific Washington DC plane crash.
Sixty-four people were mercilessly killed when a Black Hawk slammed into an American Airlines passenger plane above the Potomac River on Wednesday evening.
Young figure skater Spencer Lane is among those who were killedInstagram/spencerskates26
GettyWorld champion Russian skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, seen competing in 1995, were also killed[/caption]
Jinna Han was killed in the crash that’s believed to have claimed 64 livesReuters
The plane shattered into three pieces, and both aircraft sank into the inky black waters just before 9 pm ET.
At least 28 bodies have been pulled from the waters, as the ill-fated rescue mission quickly turned into a desperate recovery operation.
Officials believe there are no survivors, making this the deadliest US air crash in nearly 24 years.
At least 14 passengers on the flight from Wichita, Kansas, to the US capital were members of the ice skating community returning from the US National Championship.
It comes as…
All 64 passengers are feared dead
At least 28 bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River
CCTV captures moment of the crash
Chilling audio reveals the final moments of flight
World champion figure skaters believed to be on board
Figure skater shared now-tragic picture inside the plane
Another skater barely dodged the flight because of his dog
Husband reveals wife’s final text from doomed jet
Rescue efforts hindered by freezing & dark conditions
The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe confirmed that skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, 26, and both of their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, were among those killed.
Their coaches, 1994 ice skating world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, also died in the crash.
Asra Hussain, a 26-year-old woman who sent a sad final text message to her husband, also died in the crash, Newsweek reported.
Shishkova and Naumov were married, and they had a son, Maxim, who was also a rising star in the ice skating community.
It’s unclear if he was also on the plane.
In a devastating statement, Zeghibe said, “Skating is a very close and tight-knit community.
“These kids and their parents, they’re here at our facility in Norwood, six, sometimes seven days a week. It’s a close, tight bond.
“This will have long-reaching impacts for our skating community.”
DEADLY ‘MISTAKE
Newly appointed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a “mistake” led to the deaths of the entire cabin and crew onboard the plane.
The US Army was flying the helicopter for a training mission, and an “elevation issue” caused it to crash into another aircraft, Hegseth said.
Officials are now investigating exactly what happened.
After Hegseth gave the update at the press conference, a furious President Donald Trump called the tragedy a “dark night in history.”
He blamed the previous administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, which he claims has put undue pressure on air traffic controllers with diversity efforts.
He alleged the administration hired people with disabilities and psychological issues to be air traffic controllers.
The newly inaugurated president vowed to determine the cause of the disaster and ensure it would never happen again.
“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” he said.
TRAGIC FINAL POST
The competition ended on Sunday, but a few hand-selected skaters were asked to stay longer for an elite training camp.
In a now-haunting final Instagram post, Lane voiced his gratitude after completing the national development camp.
“It has been my goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing,” he wrote.
He went on to thank Shishkova and Naumov for “always pushing me to be the best I can be.”
Washington DC plane crash victims
A mid-air collision between an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter on January 29, 2025, left dozens presumed dead. The confirmed victims include:
Spencer Lane, 16
Christine Lane
Jinna Han, 16
Jin Han
Evgenia Shishkova, 52
Vadim Naumov, 55
Asra Hussain, 26
Photographs of victims in the American Airlines airplane crash were releasedAP
spencerskates26/InstagramLane was coached by Shishkova and Naumov[/caption]
Instagram / maxim.naumov_Shishkova and Naumov were married and had a son, Maxim[/caption]
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