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The tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C., on January 29, 2025, claimed the lives of 14 members of the U.S. figure skating community, including young athletes, their mothers, and renowned coaches. The American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport, resulting in a devastating loss for the skating world.
The collision occurred shortly before 9 p.m. local time. The flight was returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Wichita, Kansas, where a development camp for young skaters followed the event.
By 5:30 p.m. ET, at least 40 bodies had been accounted for, a law enforcement source told CBS News.
Boston victims identified in the crash
Doug Zeghibe, CEO of The Skating Club of Boston, said through tears at a news conference that they had lost "family.".
According to ABC News, Zeghibe said that of the victims, six were members of the Boston club, and included two coaches, two teenage athletes, and two moms of athletes.
"Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy. Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six or seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words."
The victims of the Skating Club of Boston are: Jinna Han and her mother Jin Han, Spencer Lane and her mother Christine Lane, and two coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Jinna Han, 13, had been a member of The Skating Club of Boston since 2020, representing talent and a sportive manner. After presenting a striking performance at 2025 Eastern Sectionals, it put her in the spot on the National High-Performance Development Team.
Spencer Lane was a 16-year-old Barrington, Rhode Island, figure skating prodigy. He started skating late, beginning in January 2022, but managed to master some super complex jumps within a couple of years. Spencer was a member of The Skating Club of Boston and had recently earned first place at the 2025 Intermediate Eastern Sectionals.
Evgeni Shishkov and Vadim Naumov won a 1994 World Championship in the pairs skating competition. They were Olympic competitor for the 1992 Albertville Winter Games and for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games. They finished fifth and fourth respectively.
Delaware victims identified in the crash
Alexandr "Sasha" Kirsanov, a 46-year-old figure skating coach, was among those killed in the plane crash, according to Natalya Gudin, Kirsanov's wife, speaking with ABC News. He was a respected coach at the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club and had previously competed as an ice dancer for the United States, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
Onboard the flight were also two of his young students, Angela Yang and Sean Kay.
U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware) confirmed their demise in an X post:
“I’m devastated to hear the news that at least three Delawareans died during last night’s air collision. Sasha Kirsanov, Sean Kay, and Angela Yang went to Wichita to pursue their passion for figure skating. It is a tragedy that none of them returned home to our state.”
Philadelphia victims identified in crash
The Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Society said that "loved members" of its team were among the victims of the tragic plane crash. The club stated that one of the families lost was very newly made a member, and the other had exercised their gift at the club's 175th Anniversary Gala.
Maryland victim identified in crash
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission confirmed the news as well: Olivia Ter, a 12-year-old figure skater from Fort Washington, Maryland, was killed in the unfortunate airplane accident.
Olivia was training at Tucker Road Ice Rink and working toward qualifying for Team USA in future competitions.
Olivia was one of the four elite youth skaters in the region. According to CBS News, the director of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Bill Tyler, stated that "the impact of Olivia's life will continue to resonate in our youth sports community."
Washington victims identified in the crash
Sisters Everly (14) and Alydia Livingston (11) died in the devastating crash. Both sisters are members of the Washington Figure Skating Club and have been frequently posting videos on social media of their performances, operating under the handle @ice_skating_sisters.
Three hours before the crash, the siblings posted on Instagram sharing their excitement about being part of this championship. The caption for the photo reads:
"If you look closely at Alydia’s badge… We were born ready for this but is @usfigureskating ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?"
Other victims
Inna Volyanskaya was a former Soviet pair skater and figure skating coach who was killed in a plane crash on January 29, 2025, Reuters reported citing TASS.
Born around 1966, she competed for the Soviet Union in the 1980s, winning several international medals together with her partner Valery Spiridonov, including gold at the 1982 Nebelhorn Trophy.
US Figure Skating confirmed that several members of their community were on the American Airlines flight:
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“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.”
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