Who Were the Figure Skaters in the DCA Plane Crash? Wichita Flight Victims Names Revealed

The U.S. figure skating community is devastated after learning that several members were aboard the ill-fated American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. There are no known survivors as of publication.

Who Were the Figure Skaters on the Plane That Crashed?

Shortly after the tragic wreck on January 29, 2025, the U.S. Figure Skating Organization confirmed that several ice skaters, family members and coaches were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342.

“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,” the organization said in a statement obtained by The Kansas City Star.

The Skating Club of Boston has released the names of members from their community who were victims of the plane crash, following their attendance at the figure skating championships. The championships were held in Wichita, Kansas, from January 20 to January 26, with some young athletes invited to remain in the city for advanced training until January 28.

Athletes Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were accompanied by their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, on the flight and were joined by Russian-born former world champion figure skating coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova. The athletes were members of the National Development Team, an elite training program for the top juvenile figure skaters.

“Our sport and club have suffered a horrible loss with these tragedy. Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 or 7 days a week to train and work together,” the club’s CEO, Doug Zeghibe, said in a statement shared on Facebook. “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.”

Zeghibe said in a Thursday, January 30, press conference, “to the best of our knowledge, 14 skaters returning home” from the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships in Wichita, Kansas, were killed in the fatal crash.

“This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the most promise to be a champion of tomorrow,” the executive director continued. “The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp.”

Golden Skate reported on the victims from skating clubs nationwide, confirming the casualties of athletes Eddie Zhou, Cory Haynos, Brielle Beyer, and her mother Justyna Magdalena from the Skating Club of Northern Virginia; athletes Everly Livingston, Alydia Livingston, and Franco Aparicio from the Washington Figure Skating Club; and athletes Sean Kay and Angela Yang, along with their coach Alexandr Kirsanov, from the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.

Inna Volyanskaya, a former skater who competed for the Soviet Union, was also aboard the plane, according to reports from Reuters and The Guardian, citing Russian news agencies TASS and RIA.

What Happened to the Plane and Helicopter that Crashed in Washington D.C.?

On January 29, 2025, at around 9 p.m., American Airlines Flight 5342 was approaching the runway at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, when it collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane carried 60 passengers and 4 crew members, per the airline.

Has the Cause of the Crash Been Revealed?

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was too soon to know for sure. “Our mission is to understand not just what happened but why it happened, and to recommend changes to prevent it from happening again,” NTSB board member Todd Inman said during a Thursday afternoon news conference, noting a preliminary report will be released within 30 days.