Several US figure skaters were on the American Airlines plane that was involved in a midair crash with a US Army helicopter on Thursday (Jan 30) near Ronald Reagan national airport in Washington, DC area. The development was shared by US figure skating body after the news of crash. The plane was en route to Washington, DC from Wichita, Kansas.

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“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the body said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

Also Read: Washington DC Plane Crash Latest Updates

According to news agency Reuters, which cited a source, about 15 people involved with figure skating may have been on the flight.

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Meanwhile, Russian state media also reported that former ice skating world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the plane. Their son, Maxim may also have been with them on the plane, reported Russia's Tass and RIA news agencies.

Shishkova and Naumov, who had won the world championship in 1994, lived and coached young skaters in the US.

Inna Volyanskaya, an ice skater who represented erstwhile Soviet Union, is also believed to be on the plane, reported Tass news agency.

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60 passengers on board

The incident triggered a massive emergency response, prompting authorities to ground all flights in the area. American Airlines said that 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the commercial jet.

"American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA," the airline said in a statement. "There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft."

Three US Army soldiers were aboard the Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter that collided with a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 from Wichita, Kansas, a US Army official said, according to news agency AFP.