Sir Steve Redgrave gave a touching tribute to those who lost their lives in the recent plane crash in Washington DC. The harrowing incident that unfolded this week claimed the lives of up to 14 members of the figure skating community, along with the flying crew. During his appearance on This Morning on Friday's show, the Dancing On Ice contestant took a moment to comment on the heartbreaking event. He said: "Condolences from the whole skating on ice team. On that flight, there were a number of young skaters who were just starting their careers, around 15.

"Some of our pro skaters have commentated them in competitions, and some of the coaches, some were world champions. Some of our coaches skated against them in their youth.". ITV host Alison Hammond added: "Our hearts go out to all their families, definitely." On Wednesday evening, an American Airlines passenger plane collided mid-air with a military helicopter in Washington DC. There were 64 passengers on the plane, with three on board the helicopter. According to officials from US Figure Skating, some of the people on board were figure skaters from the US and Russia.

Sadly, officials believe there are no survivors from the crash, with authorities now switching the operation to recovery. The Guardian reports at least 27 bodies have been recovered as they continue to search the river. Some of the victims include Howard University Professor Kiah Duggins, Lawyers Sarah Lee Best and Elizabeth Keys, a father named Casey Crafton, Captain of the American Airlines flight Jonathan Campos, and Second Pilot Sam Lilley.

Young skaters Spencer Lane and Jinna Han are also among the victims of the crash, alongside 12-year-old skater Olivia Ter. Married couple Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were also killed in the collision. In a statement, U.S. Figure Skating said: "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.".

Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe commented: "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.”. Currently, the cause of the tragic crash isn't known. However, according to The Guardian, the National Transportation Safety Board investigators will have a preliminary report within the next 30 days.