Renowned Russian, U.S. figure skaters were on board jet that crashed into helicopter in Washington

Tragic plane crash involving figure skaters from Russia and the U.S. at Reagan Washington National Airport.

A former world champion Russian figure skating pair and a team of American skaters, with their families, were reportedly aboard the American Airlines regional passenger plane that crashed near Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, U.S., on Wednesday (January 29, 2025).

U.S. Figure Skating, the governing body for figure skating in the United States, said on Thursday (January 30, 2025) that athletes, coaches and family members were returning from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.

FOLLOW | Washington plane crash LIVE updates

Russian state media meanwhile reported that ice skating coaches and former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were among those on board the plane. Their son, Maxim, also a skater, may also have been on the plane, Russia's TASS and RIA news agencies reported.

The plane, with 64 passengers and crew, was en route to Washington, D.C., from Witchita, Kansas, when it was involved in a mid-air collision with a U.S. Army helicopter.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.

A source told Reuters that as many as 15 people on the flight may have been involved in figure skating.