US figure skaters, married champions were aboard American Airlines flight that collided with military helicopter — as athlete shares pic of doomed plane before takeoff
Several US figure skaters and coaches — including two world champions — were onboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when the aircraft collided with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.
The skaters had participated in the National Development Camp at the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kan., last week, US Figure Skating confirmed to The Post.
Spencer Lane, a rising star in the skating community, snapped a photo of the plane’s right wing moments before takeoff.
The post read, “ICT [to] DCA,” showing the airport codes for Wichita Eisenhower and Reagan National.
Only one flight makes the direct trip between airports each day and often departs at 5:18 p.m. local time, according to FlightAware.
Several coaches and parents of the skaters were also aboard the flight and returning home after the events that spanned from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26.
World champion husband-wife duo Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were reportedly onboard the plane, according to Russian state-owned media.
The couple are listed as coaches for their son Maxim Naumov — who placed fourth in the Men’s Free Skate Championship event.
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“Once again, Maxim made us all proud, getting on to the podium at Nationals after 7th place in the short. This beautiful and emotional performance is a result of a team work,” the couple posted to Instagram Monday.
Naumov and Shishkova won the gold medal in pair skating at the 1994 World Championship.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the 23-year-old was on the flight with his parents.
“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,” US Figure Skating said.
The International Skating Union, the worldwide governing body for several ice skating disciplines, said it was deeply shocked by the tragic accident.
“We are heartbroken to learn that Figure Skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” it said on X. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport — it’s a close-knit family — and we stand together.”
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The American figure skating community was alerted to the horrific news by a text from the governing body.
“Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to DC. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking,” Team USA pair skater Luke Wang posted on X.
Some skaters who had remained in the city until Jan. 29 after having qualified for the elite division with some eventually boarding the DC-bound plane Wednesday, Wang told the Wichita Eagle.
Men’s free skate champion Ilia Malinin, who was born in Fairfax, Va., reacted to the news.
“I hope and pray for everyone who was on that flight is ok. God Bless,” he wrote on his Instagram Story.
The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided with the Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter around 9 p.m. as it was approaching Runway 33 at Reagan National.
Horrifying footage captured the moment the aircraft collided in midair, exploding into a large orange fireball.
Light from the explosion ripped through the dark night sky before pieces of burning debris from the aircraft fell into the Potomac River.
At least 19 bodies have been recovered from the river, officials told CBS News.
The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three soldiers aboard.
