A tragic accident near Washington D.C. has claimed the lives of 67 people, including two promising young figure skaters, their mothers, and their coaches. The American Airlines passenger plane they were on collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on the evening of January 29th, with both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River.
The figure skaters, Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, were members of The Skating Club of Boston and were returning home from a national training camp in Wichita, Kansas. Their mothers, Christine Lane and Jin Han, were also on board the flight, along with their coaches, Evgenia Shushkova and Vadim Naumov.
The CEO of The Skating Club of Boston, Doug Zeghibe, confirmed the identities of the victims and spoke of the devastating impact this loss has had on the skating community. He described Spencer Lane as “incredibly talented” and Jinna Han as a “wonderful kid.”
The victims were among approximately 20 figure skaters, along with their parents and coaches, who were on the flight. The crash has sent shockwaves through the figure skating world, with many expressing their condolences and sharing memories of the young athletes and their coaches.
Recovery efforts are ongoing, but authorities have stated that there are no survivors.
