Young figure skating athletes among plane crash victims
Daily TribuneWith the tragic mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., involving an American Airlines flight and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, people are left wondering who exactly the passengers were aboard.
Among the victims were young figure skaters, their coaches, and family members, leaving the figure skating community in profound mourning.
The victims were returning from a training camp that took place alongside the recent US National Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Doug Zeghibe, CEO and executive director of the Skating Club of Boston, confirmed that six of the victims were affiliated with the club, including two skaters, two coaches, and two mothers of athletes.
The two young skaters, Jinna Ha and Spencer Lane, were both “leaders” of the club. Zeghibe described Ha as a serious competitor but beloved by all, while he referred to Lane as a prodigy with a remarkable understanding of the ice and speed.
The UD Figure Skating Club, the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society, and the Skating Club of Northern Virginia also expressed their devastation over the tragedy but chose not to disclose the names of the victims.
This horrific event casts a shadow over the figure skating world, as it recalls the 1961 plane crash that claimed the lives of the entire US figure skating team.
Search and recovery operations continue as authorities work to retrieve wreckage and identify victims at the crash site in the Potomac River. However, officials have said that the impact left no chance of survival for any of the 67 individuals on board both aircraft.
No survivors are expected.
This tragic event marks the deadliest aviation accident in the United States in recent years.
The last commercial plane crash in the U.S. occurred on 12 February 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed while attempting to land near Buffalo Niagara International Airport, claiming the lives of all 49 passengers and crew.