WORLD champion figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the crashed American Airlines, reports say.
The plane plunged into Potomac River in Washington DC after colliding with a US Army helicopter just before 9pm.
GettyYevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov performing in 1995[/caption]
GettyEmergency crews at the scene[/caption]
GettyEmergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River[/caption]
The married couple, from Russia, were among the 64 people on board the flight, Tass news agency reports.
Shishkova and Naumov won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994.
US Figure Skating said several members of its skating community were also on board.
Hopes are dwindling for survivors with officials warning there are “many, many” dead after the jet reportedly split in two.
American Eagle Flight 5342 from Kansas was approaching Runway 33 at Ronald Reagan International Airport when it collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.
Horror CCTV from the Kennedy Center showed the moment the aircraft burst into flames after crashing in the air.
Rescue crews are grappling with dark, cold conditions to search for any survivors as police divers and boats scour the freezing waters.
Officials say there are “many, many, many” people dead, but have not confirmed the tragic toll.
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