Did Jon Maravilla’s dog prevent him from boarding fatal American Airlines flight? All about viral figure skater as he speaks out

Jon Maravilla, a 19-year-old figure skater, found himself in the middle of a horrific incident in which an American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2025, killing all 64 people on board the plane and the three soldiers in the helicopter.

Initial reports suggested that Maravilla was scheduled to be on the ill-fated American Airlines flight. Such claims were backed by the Russian media outlet RIA Novosti.

The viral report claimed that he was not allowed to board due to the size of his dog. Jon Maravilla was not scheduled to be on the flight that tragically ended in disaster, the Daily Beast and the Daily Mail stated in an updated report.

In a post shortly after being denied boarding, Maravilla vented out:

Not allowed past gate to board flight. Get me tf out of Kansas please."

Jon Maravilla later updated his followers on his 14-hour car journey.

Media outlets further built up on the RIA Novosti report and followed up with images from Maravilla's private Instagram story, as reported by People Magazine.

Maravilla clarified with the Daily Beast that he actually booked a Delta to Atlanta for his connection to Detroit.

Concerning the lethal crash Jon Maravilla says:

“I still can’t believe it…I was just with them watching them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time.”

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Who is Jon Maravilla?

Jon Maravilla began skating at the age of three, according to US Figure Skating Fan Zone. Initially, Maravilla would visit practices just to be there and then soon began skating for himself. Jon Maravilla has since progressed from practicing to competing in competitions.

Jon Maravilla is a pair skater for Team USA, according to his Instagram page.

He has won several medals in the figure skating communities of the United States. For instance, in the 2025 U.S. Championships, he won a junior bronze medal.

His partner, Saya Carpenter, trains with him. After their instructor retired in 2022, the pair broke up, but they reconnected in 2023. They had initially teamed up in 2021.

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Community reaction to the accident

About 14 figure skaters were on board, including coaches and parents returning from a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed in a statement to People magazine:

"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.”

"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.”

Two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan is also paying her respects after the tragic death of several figure skating community members, including Skating Club of Boston members who died in the plane crash.

During a news conference conducted at the Skating Club of Boston, Kerrigan appeared tearful as she discussed her despair over the attack and loss of some lives. She mentioned that she had personal relationships with some of the victims.

Kerrigan was cited by E! News as saying:

“I just wanted to be here and be part of our community…When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it’s an even bigger blow. We just wish them well—the families—the courage and the strength to make the next steps.”