Former Russian world champion figure skaters were on board the doomed American Airlines plane that crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter over Washington. US figure skating has confirmed that several skaters, coaches and their family members were on board the flight, and had been returning home from the National Development Camp which is held in conjunction with the national championships.
We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,' the sport governing body said in a statement.
American figure skater John Maravilla, as reported by RIA Novosti, said: 'I don't want to name names, but there were around 14 figure skaters on the plane, not counting their parents and several coaches.
The regional passenger jet and the US Army helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a midair collision as the plane approached Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials said. American Airlines confirmed there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board. Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov are reported to have been on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter.
Surveillance footage taken from inside the airport also captured the moment the two collided in midair. The couple were reported to have been returning from the competition and travelling with a group of young skaters.
