Many of the victims of the devastating American Airlines plane crash near Reagan National Airport in Washington DC have been identified. The wreckage, which plunged into the icy Potomac River following a mid-air collision, has yielded at least 30 bodies so far.
It’s confirmed that there were no survivors from either the plane or the helicopter. Among the dead are a group of figure skaters who were representing their sports club at a competition in Kansas.
This includes 13-year-old TikTok sensation Jinna Han and sisters Everly and Alydia Livingston, aged 14 and 11, respectively.
Russian figure skating champions Evgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, are also among the deceased. Tributes have been pouring in for Wendy Jo Shaffer, a beloved mother of two whose partner described her as having an “unwavering spirit.”
He said: “I’m still waiting to wake up from this nightmare, but I fear this is the truth.”
Former Miss Kansas, Kiah Duggins, was also tragically killed in the crash. She had been visiting her mother in Wichita, Kansas, and was returning to Washington, DC, where she worked for the Civil Rights Corps.
Inna Volyanskaya, a performer known for her roles in Disney on Ice, was also killed. The 59-year-old was celebrated for portraying Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel in Disney on Ice.
Her ex-husband, Ross Lansel, paid tribute to her talent: “She was one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen, honestly. She was one of the best pair girls to skate.”
The fatal accident occurred as Flight 5342 was making its final approach to Reagan Washington National Airport. Debris from the crash showered over the river and surrounding areas.
Investigators are currently working to reconstruct the events leading up to the devastating incident. The confirmed victims so far include:
- Spencer Lane
- Christine Lane
- Grace Maxwell
- Evgenia Shishkova
- Vadim Naumov
- Jinna Han
- Jin Han
- Justyna Beyer
- Brielle Beyer
Rescue operations continued into Thursday evening with more victims expected to be identified.
However, John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital, announced on Thursday: “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”
Both helicopter pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” Jonathan Koziol, the Army’s chief of staff for aviation, disclosed.
According to Mr Koziol, the helicopter was restricted to a maximum altitude of 200 feet (approximately 60 meters) at the time of the incident.
While it remains uncertain if the aircraft breached this ceiling, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that altitude may have played a role in the tragic event.
Mr Koziol emphasised the importance of examining flight data before drawing any conclusions regarding altitude.
The devastating crash on Wednesday marks the deadliest in the US since November 12, 2001, when an American Airlines jet crashed into a residential area in Belle Harbor, New York, shortly after departing from Kennedy Airport, resulting in the loss of all 260 individuals on board.
Moreover, the last significant fatal accident involving a US commercial airline happened in 2009 near Buffalo, New York, where a Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane went down, claiming the lives of everyone on board and one person on the ground, culminating in a death toll of 50.