Multiple significant figures from the figure skating world perished when two aircraft collided mid-flight near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday January 29th, 2025. Autorities verified that the American Airlines regional passenger plane transporting 64 passengers and crew members crashed into a U.S. Army helicopter during its flight from Wichita Kansas.
World champion figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov together with their son Maxim who is a skater joined the flight according to Russian state media. Multiple American skaters and their coaches along with family members traveled aboard the flight which transported participants of the National Development Camp that took place with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.
The devastating plane accident creates an unspeakable tragedy which U.S. Figure Skating expressed through a heartfelt statement on Thursday, January 30, 2025. 
Reuters gained information indicating that up to 15 figure skating community members were present on that flight. Russian news outlets which reported on the plane crash named the Washington-based coach Inna Volyanskaya with former Soviet skater as one of the travelers.
Neither authorities nor local officials have released the fatality numbers but the situation indicates potential death for everyone onboard. The sources examining what caused the mid-air accident have not yet determined why it happened.
The entire global figure skating community feels deep sorrow because this air crash claimed the lives of legendary athletes and promising future stars in the sport. The authorities remain devoted to defining how the plane met its tragic fate.
