Off The RecordFigure Skater Final Photo From Plane Before Horrible Crash In Washington
Among those on board the US aircraft that crashed close to Washington were a pair who are skating trainers and previous world champions.
In a statement, US Figure Skating confirmed that community members were on board the American Airlines flight 5342, which took off from Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft struck a military Black Hawk chopper when it was traveling to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
On the evening of Wednesday, January 29, the plane, which had 60 passengers and four crew members, and the helicopter, which was carrying three military personnel, collided in midair before plummeting into the Potomac River.
The skaters, coaches, and family members aboard had been returning home from the National Development Camp, which was held in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, according to US Figure Skating.
The group of young skaters was traveling with Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former world champions and ice skating trainers of Russian descent, according to the governing body.
According to reports, the married couple had been in the US since at least 1998 and had been spending their time teaching young ice skaters. When they won the 1994 couples figure skating world championship, they were well-known throughout the
The instructor who helped shape Shishkova and Naumov’s skating careers from an early age, Ludmila Velikova, told the media that the trip included 14 athletes and coaches. Speaking from St. Petersburg, Velikova said he was relieved that Maxim, the couple’s son who had competed in Kansas, was not traveling on the same flight.
US Figure Skating is now in mourning. They concluded in their statement, “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 names of individuals on board the jet and the precise number of skaters have not been made public by officials. On the other hand, competitors competed in ice dance, couples, and singles at the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
All four of the 2024 US champions participated in this year’s competition. These include Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam.
However, Christine Brennan, a sports analyst, has emphasized the importance of the National Development Camp in helping young skaters grow. Many of the passengers on the aircraft were viewed as potential future competitors for important events, such as the Olympic Games in 2030, she said.
Spencer Lane, one of the participants, was overjoyed to have been selected for the National Development Camp, something he had wanted to do ever since he first heard about it. He celebrated by posting a video and a collage of pictures to Instagram, where he posed with other campers and revealed how excited he was about the experience.
Regretfully, his greatest wish has now become a tragedy. A few hours prior to the collision, Lane shared a spooky photo on his Instagram account that appeared to have been taken inside the doomed aircraft.
Before the plane lifted off, the wing was visible in the picture taken via the window. He was traveling from Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to Ronald Reagan National Airport, according to the image’s description.
Although the exact number of people killed in the mid-air accident between the airplane and the military helicopter has not yet been confirmed, authorities have indicated that there is little chance of survival.
However, according to DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, one body has been retrieved from the military helicopter and 27 from the passenger flight thus far. According to Donnelly, search operations have now changed to a recovery operation.
