Figure skaters among those on American Airlines flight that collided with Black Hawk helicopter near DCA

ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) — Several of the 60 passengers who were on board an airplane that collided with a military helicopter Wednesday night were figure skaters, U.S. Fgure Skating said.

The organization released a statement, explaining that athletes, coaches, and family members were on their way home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Kansas when the collision happened.

Those passengers and others were on American Eagle Flight 5342, which American Airlines said PSA operated. The flight left Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

The airplane, which had four crew members on it, in addition to the passengers, and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed into each other as the plane approached the airport. Both fell into the Potomac River below. The helo, which was based at Fort Belvoir, Va. and was on a training exercise, had three military members on board.

Here is the full statement from U.S. Figure Skating:

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. 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.

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.

U.S. Figure Skating

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