American figure skating members, Russian Olympians aboard plane in Reagan National Airport crash

Rebekah Koffler, former U.S. defense intel officer, offers her perspective on the tragic collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

U.S. and Russian figure skaters were on board an American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.

U.S. Figure Skating said athletes, coaches and family members were returning home from a camp held in Wichita, Kansas.

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Bodies lie on the ground next to emergency vehicles, near the site of the crash after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River, outside Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.," the organization said. "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."

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Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won a pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were on board