D.C. plane crash: Heartbreaking stories emerge as victims identified – National

Heartbreaking tributes are pouring in for the victims of a collision between an American Airlines jet and an army helicopter after the victims were identified — many of whom were teenage figure skaters returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches.

Fourteen members of the figure skating community were among the 60 travellers and four crew members on board the commercial flight late Wednesday when it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers. Officials say there were no survivors.

An Ohio college student coming from her grandfather’s funeral, two Chinese nationals and a group of hunters returning from a guided trip in Kansas were also among those who died in the mid-air collision at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

As the search for remains continued Thursday, communities grieved. Faith leaders held a vigil Thursday in the city council chambers.

“The only way we will get through this is together,” said the Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason of Wichita’s St. Paul AME Church.

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Spencer Lane, Jinna Han, and sisters Everly and Alydia Livingston were among those killed in the deadly plane crash after attending a national figure-skating development camp in Wichita, Kansas, which had followed the U.S. Figure Skating national championship this past weekend.

More than 180 athletes competed in the Jan. 20-26 championships in Kansas, the organization said. The development camp was held from Jan. 27 to 28 for nearly 150 up-and-coming skaters across performance levels.

Wichita Skating Center manager Sean O’Reilly said the championships brought a “groundswell of positivity,” drawing enthusiastic parents and young athletes from across the U.S. He was “gutted” to learn some of those skaters had been killed.

U.S. figure skater Spencer Lane, 16, shared a photo on Instagram on Wednesday of the American Airlines plane on the runway at the Wichita airport before take off. “ICT -> DCA,” he wrote over the photo. (The codes are for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C.)

Spencer and his mother, Christine Lane, from Barrington, Rhode Island, were among those killed in the crash.

Spencer’s father, Douglas Lane, spoke with WRPI 12 News on Thursday night, sharing that he and his wife adopted their two sons, Spencer and Milo, from South Korea.

Douglas revealed that Spencer had only started skating three years ago and was “really just a force of nature.”

“He saw Nathan Chen in the Olympics and decided, ‘Hey I can do that,’” Douglas said. “Whether he was in his home club in Boston, [Spencer] was just loved by everyone. From adults running the club to smaller skaters, to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all adored him.”

In a statement released to the media, Douglas said: “Our family is devastated by the loss of Christine and Spencer. Christine exuded creativity throughout her life, using her formal graphic design training as a jumping-off point for seemingly endless creative pursuits across areas such as photography, quilting, knitting, and more. She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo. She was also a lover of animals, and we lost track of how many dogs she helped place in loving adoptive homes.”

He said that Spencer truly loved skating and called his short year journey from basic Learn to Skate classes to U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Team “unprecedented.”

“We are so grateful that his last week was filled with joy and surrounded by his beloved Skating Club of Boston and the U.S. Figure Skating family,” Douglas added. “We are also hurting so much from the loss of Spencer’s talented and kind coaches, Genia and Vadim, and all of the wonderful friends Christine and Spencer were sharing their journey with.”

Robert Wargo, the superintendent of Barrington High School where Spencer attended, released a statement saying that he will remember the 16-year-old for “his compassion, dedication and tenacity.”

“We will honour the memory of both Christine and Spencer by spreading kindness, positivity, and unity in our district,” Wargo added.

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Jinna Han, a 13-year-old figure skater, and her mother were also among the members of the Skating Club of Boston who died in the crash.

Jinna’s coach Olga Ganicheva told NBC Boston that she worked with her for the last four years and called her “their star skater.”

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“Her nickname was ‘Jinna Starina,’ like a star, that’s how we call her, ‘Jinna Starina,’” Ganicheva shared. “The way she feels, the way she skates, the way she performs, the way she jumps, everything. Very special kid.”

She also spoke about Jinna’s mother, Jin, saying, “Sometimes skating moms can be difficult, but this mom, she believes, she trusts, she respects.”

Ganicheva also shared a video of the young rising star on Instagram, with the caption, “We knew your beauty for a moment but hold your memory for a lifetime.”

Adam Blake, Jinna’s club choreographer, called her “an absolutely beautiful spirit on and off the ice.”

“She almost made it a mission to say hi to absolutely everyone, and you could just tell that she was absolutely in love with the sport and her parents are just the most supportive parents out there,” Blake added.

Audrey Shin, who competed at the National Development Camp last week but flew home a few days earlier, called Jinna her “little baby skating sister” in a post on her Instagram Stories.

“I don’t believe it. So heartbroken right now,” Shin added.

Everly, 14, and Alydia Livingston, 11, were also among the multiple skaters who were on board the American Airlines flight.

In their final Instagram post, the sisters posed together at the INTRUST Bank Arena rink, where the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas was held.

“If you look closely at Alydia’s badge … We were born ready for this but is @usfigureskating ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?” their caption on their joint Instagram account read.

Their comment section was filled with condolences from friends and fans.

“You were taken too soon and you guys were my closest friends. I miss you and love you. May you rest easy now in paradise,” one person wrote.

“It has been a privilege to be able to watch you both grow up into beautiful skaters rest in peace angels,” another person said.

“Everly you were a friend everyone would wish they could have. You lit up every room you went too without fail. Me and everyone at Ashburn will always remember you — Liddy you were one of the funniest kids ever. You were always going around the rink making everyone laugh. I hope you are happy in heaven and rest in peace,” another person shared.

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‘Tower, did you see that?’: Air traffic control recording of Washington, DC plane crash released

Russian-born ice skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also aboard the flight, after attending the development camp.

One of Shishkova and Naumov’s students is their 23-year-old son, Maxim, a former U.S. junior champion who competed in the national championships in Kansas over the weekend. Maxim boarded a flight out of Wichita just days before his parents were killed in the devastating crash.

“Max was competing at the U.S. Championships in the senior men’s event, championship men,” Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said on Thursday, Jan. 30 in a press conference. “He placed fourth, which is a medalling spot. His time in Wichita concluded on Sunday with the men’s event. He was actually on a plane on Monday. I came back with him. He had no reason to stay at the National Development Camp.”

“Both of his parents were with him while he was competing,” Zeghibe said. “It’s well-known his mom was always too nervous to watch him skate. But his dad was with him. His dad was in the kiss-and-cry sharing his great performance.”

Zeghibe mentioned that he is unclear about Maxim’s “next steps” but did note that he’s currently scheduled to compete at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, which begin Feb. 18 in Seoul, South Korea.

He hasn’t spoken publicly about the loss of his parents as of this writing.

The Boston Skating Club released a statement on Thursday, saying: “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 6 to 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”

Olympian Nancy Kerrigan gave an emotional interview at her former Boston Skating Club. During a press conference Thursday, Kerrigan said she knew two of the skaters on the plane, Lane and Han.

“I’ve never seen someone love skating as much as these two, and that’s why I think it hurts so much,” Kerrigan said. “When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it’s even a bigger blow.”

“Our community is pretty small,” Kerrigan said fighting back tears. “So, it’s not just here that’s hurting. It’s every rink that has skating, has some sort of feeling toward this. It’s tragic.”

“I feel for the athletes, their families, but anyone who was on that plane, not just the skaters because it’s just such a tragic event,” Kerrigan added.

4:06
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Other famous figure skaters took to social media to share their condolences once news of the devastating crash spread.

Former U.S. Olympic silver medallist Ashley Wagner posted a message on her Instagram Stories that read: “My heart breaks for my skating family today. I can’t put into words what this feeling is — I’m horrified, heartbroken, devastated and shocked. It makes you realize that ‘my heart goes out to’ and ‘condolences to the families’ simply are not enough.”

Tonya Harding shared her reaction to the plane collision on X. “The events that took place last night in Washington, DC are absolutely devastating. I’m being told that several professional figure skaters were aboard the flight as well. Sending my love and prayers to all the victims and their families,” she wrote.

Tara Lipinski, a former U.S. Olympic gold medallist, shared a screenshot of a news article on her Instagram Stories, writing: “It’s unimaginable the loss. We will mourn their loss and ALWAYS remember them. My heart is with all the families affected — that part I have no words for. ‘Strength’ and ‘love’ won’t do it justice. So many of our own were on this tragic flight and my heart aches, for them and for everyone part of this devastating accident.”

On Jan. 30, Lipinski and two-time Olympian Johnny Weir both shared their emotions while commentating on the pairs final at the European Figure Skating Championships, taking place this week in Tallinn, Estonia.

“As we come on the air for the European Figure Skating Championships, we are all hurting today. We were absolutely heartbroken by the news that several members of our skating community were among those lost in the tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C. last night,” Weir said.

Weir read a portions of the statement released by U.S. Figure Skating and the International Skating Union and was visibly emotional as he read them.

The International Skating Union (ISU) said it was “deeply shocked by the tragic accident.”

“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” the global governing body said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.

After Weir finished reading the statements, Lipinski cried, calling the situation “unimaginable” and said the victims will always be remembered.

“My heart is completely broken for our skating community, their families and loved ones. My heart is with all the families affected and that’s the part I have no words for. It will not do it justice,” she said.

Weir also shared a statement on Instagram, writing, “May we shine a light for them. May we mourn for them. May we always remember them.”

The European championships continued Thursday as scheduled and there was a moment of silence during the competition for the victims.

“Today, the world of figure skating is heartbroken,” said Jae Youl Kim, International Skating Union president. “We share our deepest, most sincere condolences with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in this terrible crash. To lose so many members of our community in this way brings sadness beyond words.”

—With files from The Associated Press