Plane and helicopter crash: skating athletes among victims
![](https://sportal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/incidente-aereo-washington_1307026Photogallery.jpg)
Also on board were two former Russian figure skating champions
Tragic accident near the Potomac River in Washington between a regional aircraft and a military helicopter, the latter engaged in a training flight. On board the aircraft, a bireactor, were 64 people (60 passengers and four crew members) while, on the Blackhawk helicopter three soldiers.
As reported by CBS and other U.S. media, the cause of the crash is still unknown but FBI executives have ruled out a possible terrorist attack. The most real speculations speak of possible human error or a technical problem. The incident è occurred when the plane was on its way to land at Ronald Reagan Airport, the smaller and closer of the two airports in the capital Washington.
Currently, about 300 rescue workers are involved in recovering the missing bodies. On board the plane were several U.S. figure skating athletes: “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold in our hearts the families of the victims", the statement from U.S. Figure Skating reported by the Washington Post. Russia's Ria Novosti news agency informed that Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, world champions in figure skating in the ’90s and engaged in the US as coaches, were also among the passengers.
CBS informed that rescuers have recovered one of the black boxes from the American Airlines'plane.