Promising teen skaters, ex-world champions among victims of Washington air crash

Emergency workers recover debris from the Potomac River in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter, as seen from Virginia, U.S., January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

(Reuters) - All 64 people aboard a flight from Wichita, Kansas – 60 passengers and four crew members – and the three soldiers on a U.S. Army helicopter were believed dead after the two aircraft collided in a fiery explosion near Washington, D.C.

The victims include figure skaters, family members and coaches who had been attending a national training camp for top young skaters in Kansas. Among the victims were Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former world champions in pairs figure skating who coached young skaters in the Boston area.