Elite American figure skaters, along with two Russian world champions, were onboard American Eagle Flight 5342, which collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. The athletes were returning from a training camp in Wichita, Kansas, following the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The National Development Camp, which immediately followed the championships, serves as a launchpad for athletes vying for a spot on Team USA in upcoming world championships. Among the Russian skaters onboard were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former world champions who were working as coaches in the U.S. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian nationals were onboard the flight but did not specify if Shishkova and Naumov were among them. The U.S. Figure Skating community expressed devastation over the tragedy and offered condolences to the victims’ families. The exact number of American skaters onboard the plane is not yet known. Please check back for updates as this story develops.
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Figure skaters flown home by American Eagle before tragic crash
