Members of a Russian figure skating school being may have been on board the American Airlines passenger plane that collided with a military helicopter in the U.S. It is believed that the athletes were returning from Wichita, where the U.S. Figure Skating Championships had taken place.
American figure skater John Maravilla told RIA Novosti that at least 14 figure skaters, along with several coaches, were on board the crashed plane.
"I don't want to give any names, but there were around 14 skaters on board, not counting their parents and several coaches. Such a tragedy," he said.
Former Russian pair skating world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who moved to the U.S. in 1998 after retiring from competitive sports, were also on board the American Airlines aircraft. Their son, Maxim Naumov, who competed at the U.S. Championships, was reportedly on board with them. Maxim performed for Team USA.
Additionally, reports suggest that Inna Volyanskaya, who coached the Ashburn Ice House team from Virginia, may have also been on the plane. Most of the skaters on board were children of Russian immigrants, Mash Telegram channel said.
However, Match TV later reported that there were no Russian-born skaters on board the plane.
The Russian Figure Skating Federation declined to comment on the crash, as all those on board were U.S. citizens.
The aircraft, which had 64 passengers on board, split into two upon crashing. The wreckage was found two meters deep in the Potomac River. Rescue operations are complicated by harsh weather conditions , with water temperatures near freezing (0°C / 32°F).
According to released air traffic control recordings, controllers attempted to contact the Black Hawk military helicopter before it collided with the American Airlines jet, urging it to yield to the aircraft.
They also contacted the plane's pilots, advising them to coordinate further actions with the airline.
However, sources indicate that the air traffic controller did not issue a direct order for the Black Hawk to change course without adjusting altitude.
The De Havilland Canada DHC-8 commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was bought by Boeing in 1986, then by Bombardier in 1992, then by Longview Aviation Capital in 2019; Longview revived the De Havilland Canada brand. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150s, it was developed from the Dash 7 with improved cruise performance and lower operational costs, but without STOL performance. The Dash 8 was offered in four sizes: the initial Series 100 (1984–2005), the more powerful Series 200 (1995–2009) with 37–40 seats, the Series 300 (1989–2009) with 50–56 seats, and Series 400 (1999–2022) with 68–90 seats. The QSeries (Q for quiet) are post-1997 variants fitted with active noise control systems. Per a property transaction made by Bombardier before the 2019 sale to DHC, DHC had to vacate its Downsview, Toronto, manufacturing facility in August 2022, and as of August 2023 is planning to restart Dash 8 production in Wheatland County, Alberta, by 2033. At the July 2024 Farnborough International Air Show, DHC announced orders for seven Series 400 aircraft, an order for a newly introduced quick-change combi aircraft conversion kit, and a new factory refurbishment programme.
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