U.S. figure skaters, their coaches and family members were passengers on an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday, U.S. Figure Skating said.
The figure skaters were returning from a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts.