Helicopter, 41 bodies recovered from Potomac after DC plane collision
NTSB officials say all black boxes from the plane and helicopter have been recovered and are in good condition.
Nearly half of the passengers on the plane that fatally collided with a military helicopter last week were members of the figure skating community, U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement Monday.
The national governing body, which oversees the sport, confirmed that 28 members of its community were on board American Airlines 5342 on Wednesday night, returning home after a national development camp in Wichita, Kansas. Authorities have said the plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, none of whom survived.
In a tribute video posted on social media, U.S. Figure Skating identified 11 skaters between the ages of 11 and 16 as being among the victims, as well as four coaches. The other 13 members of the community were family members.
“Those whom we lost dedicated their lives to perfecting the sport of figure skating, many with the goal of one day becoming Olympians. We will never forget them,” interim chief executive officer Samuel Auxier said in a statement. “May their passion and excellence inspire us and give us strength in the days ahead. For now, our hearts are heavy with sorrow, and we stand with their families and friends as we grieve this unspeakable loss. ”
U.S. Figure Skating said it has established a fund to support families directly impacted by the tragedy. It will also host a tribute at Capital One Arena in Washington on March 2.
Separately, some victims’ friends and family members have created GoFundMe pages to assist loved ones. As of Monday morning, those pages had raised more than $500,000 collectively for the families of the figure skaters, coaches and parents who died in the collision.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.
