Former Russian world champion figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were reportedly among the passengers on the American Airlines regional jet that crashed into the Potomac River after a midair collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. The Russian state news agency TASS and sports media website Sports.ru cited sources confirming their presence on the flight. The couple, who won the pairs gold medal at the 1994 World Championships and the 1995-96 Champions Series final, had lived in the United States since the late 1990s, working as coaches.

Their 23-year-old son, Maxim Naumov, who represents the United States in international competitions and won the U.S. national junior championship in 2020, was also feared to be on board. Reports indicated that the pair were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, and were traveling with a group of young skaters. Russia’s Mash news outlet published a list of 13 skaters, many of whom were the children of Russian emigrants, who were believed to have been on the flight. Another former Soviet figure skater, Inna Volyanskaya, who worked as a coach at a Washington-based skating club, was also reportedly among the passengers.

The crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. on January 30, as the Bombardier CRJ-701 regional jet, operated by a partner airline of American Airlines, was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. It had departed from Wichita and was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The midair collision involved a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the U.S. Army, which had three soldiers on board.

At least 18 bodies were recovered from the river as search and rescue operations continued late into the night. Darkness and near-freezing temperatures complicated the efforts, with multiple agencies participating in the response. Washington police confirmed on social media that all takeoffs and landings at Reagan National Airport had been halted to assist rescue teams. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated that "every available U.S. Coast Guard resource" had been deployed.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the crash, including the involvement of a military helicopter. In a statement, he described it as a "terrible accident" and praised first responders for their efforts. He later reiterated his concern on social media, emphasizing that he was closely monitoring developments.

American Airlines acknowledged the reports that one of its flights was involved in the crash and stated it would provide further details as soon as possible. The aircraft, a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, was manufactured in 2004 and can accommodate up to 70 passengers.

The last fatal U.S. commercial airplane accident occurred in February 2009. While no similar tragedies have taken place since then, a series of near-miss incidents in recent years have raised concerns about aviation safety.

Sources:

• Retuers
• TASS
• CBS News
• Sports.ru