World champions were onboard American Airlines plane in Washington crash as first victims revealed
World champions were onboard American Airlines plane in Washington crash as first victims revealed
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Two of the people onboard the American Airlines jet which crashed into a helicopter over Washington DC were champion figure skaters, it has emerged. Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov are the first names to come out of those on board the flight which crashed into a US Army helicopter carrying three soldiers on Wednesday night. State-run Russian news agency TASS reported the two - who were married - had been on the flight.
The pair both won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994. The inbound flight from Wichita, Kansas, was coming into land at nearby Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided mid-air with the Black Hawk helicopter. US Figure Skating has confirmed several of its athletes were onboard the doomed flight 5342 as well. The governing body for the sport said in a statement: "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. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.".
The wife of Hamaad Raza was also on board the flight, he told CBS. The woman, whose name he did not disclose, had reportedly been coming back from a work trip in Kansas and had sent him a haunting message beforehand to say she would be landing in 20 minutes. Mr Raza said: "I'm praying someone is pulling her from the river as we speak.". A total of 60 passengers and four crew were onboard at the time. A major search and rescue operation has been launched, with 18 bodies recovered from the Potomac River, CBS reports. There are currently around 300 responders working to recover casualties.
President Donald Trump has said he was "monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise". He also praised first responders for their "incredible work", adding, "may God bless their souls". Echoing the sentiment, Vice President Vance urged the public on X, "Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We're monitoring the situation, but for now let's hope for the best.".
