U.S. Figure Skating confirms that athletes, coaches, and family members were on American Airlines Flight 5342 that crashed in D.C.

[skipaway]

Hope this gift feature works. Families say Army lacks Accountability in Air Disaster

The Army has avoided accountability and shirked oversight months after the deadly midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter in Washington, dozens of family members said in a letter to the Army’s top official, calling for action and greater transparency.
The Army stands alone in its lack of transparency and candor, 168 family members and loved ones said in a letter addressed to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll on Wednesday and obtained by The Washington Post. Army officials have not had meaningful dialogue with families since a short briefing from Army aviation officials in the days after the collision, with the families noting the rare disclosures related to the incident seemed deliberately timed near holidays to minimize public attention.

 

[ice coverage]

In Chris Berman's intro to the In Memoriam segment at the recent ESPYs, he respectfully made a collective reference to the Flight 5342 figure skaters as young athletes who were lost before the world even had a chance to get to know them. (I'm just paraphrasing -- not quoting him exactly.)
I appreciate that they were remembered at this major event for the entire sports community.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

This Week in Skating spoke to Misha Mitrofanov and Spencer Howe about Skating Club of Boston's new Always Champions campaign to honor the six members of their club who were lost in the accident

This Week in Skating / Always Champions Interview with Misha Mitrofanov & Spencer Howe

Podcast Episode · This Week in Skating Podcast · 07/29/2025 · 48m

podcasts.apple.com

 

[skipaway]

US Army Issues Apology

 

[Wyliefan]

Matt Jacoby’s ice dance partner, Alydia Livingston, was on Flight 5342. Now, the 16-year-old skates in her honor.​

Matt Jacoby’s ice dance partner, Alydia Livingston, was on Flight 5342. Now, the 16-year-old skates in her honor.

Alydia was among 67 people who died when an airliner and a military helicopter collided in Washington. Matt, of Bala Cynwyd, thought of her as a little sister.

www.inquirer.com

 

[Spiralgraph]

^^^ Seems to be behind a paywall. I can't read it.

 

[Wyliefan]

^^^ Seems to be behind a paywall. I can't read it.

That's odd -- it was a gift link I found on Facebook, so it should be accessible to everyone. I'd paste in the text here, but I'm not sure if that's legal.

 

[overedge]

^^^ Seems to be behind a paywall. I can't read it.

I think this is an un-paywalled version https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...e-16-year-old-skates-in-her-honor/ar-AA1LSimM

 

[Spiralgraph]

That link works. Thank you.

 

[Wyliefan]

Yes, thanks, @overedge!

 

[MacMadame]

The original link worked for me.

 

[Debbie S]

Update: U.S. gov't admits liability

US government admits Army and air traffic controller failures in deadly midair collision near DC - WTOP News

The US government now admits failures by the pilots of an Army helicopter and a controller in the Reagan National Airport tower during the Jan. 29 collision.

wtop.com

 

[FSWer]

I only seriously hope we don't loose any more Figure Skaters to plane crashes from this point on. As this time around, we also lost (along with top skaters) a few really talented young skaters who could have been future skating stars.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

The military admits responsibility for the crash, yet wants to keep flying dangerously -

In October, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) advanced legislation that would require all aircraft operating in congested airspace to have equipment that would broadcast their positions to other aircraft. The lawmakers had hoped it would be included as part of the Pentagon funding measure.

Instead, on Wednesday, the House passed the final version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which included allowing the military to resume flying in D.C. airspace — and in similarly congested airspace around the country — without using the transmitters when carrying out national security mission or training flights. The annual finding bill is expected to be taken up by the Senate next week.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), who represents many of the families who lost loved ones in the crash, said in a statement that a provision he supported to require stricter location broadcasting from aircraft was ultimately watered down “to accommodate [Defense Department] concerns.”

The Senate has just passed a bill to require the military to turn transponders on, but it won't go to the House until next next year. In the meantime, there was a near mid-air collision between an Air Force tanker and a Jet Blue airliner near Curacao a few days ago. The tanker was flying with transponders off.

 

[floridaice]

The military admits responsibility for the crash, yet wants to keep flying dangerously -



The Senate has just passed a bill to require the military to turn transponders on, but it won't go to the House until next next year. In the meantime, there was a near mid-air collision between an Air Force tanker and a Jet Blue airliner near Curacao a few days ago. The tanker was flying with transponders off.

And the NTSB is not happy about this. Props to Jennifer Homendy

 

[Sylvia]

Tomorrow, January 29, is the one year anniversary of the plane crash.

This Reuters article (Jan. 21, 2026) includes quotes from Glenn, Brown, Liu and Chock/Bates: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/we...lly-grief-crash-anniversary-nears-2026-01-21/

Ice dance stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates, gold-medal favourites heading into next month's Olympics, said the community now carries the victims into every performance.
"In their honour, we're going to continue to be grateful for the opportunity that we have, to do what we love," Chock said.
"It's not a wound that will ever fully heal," Bates added. "But I think the opportunity to skate and lead our lives as a legacy to them is the best thing that we can do."

NBC4 Washington's news story yesterday - Northern Virginia figure skaters remember plane crash victims: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoyp8u9OmUA

Fox5 Washington DC's news story - Figure skating community honors plane crash victims: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHg_DsyEh6Y

Loundon (VA) Times article (Jan. 27) - 'It doesn’t feel the same without them': Sculpture recalls skaters killed in crash: https://www.loudountimes.com/news/c...cle_3275f0d8-0ce9-4fc1-a4d0-907589927b1a.html
Related video by Loundon Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51x0Af7_PCM

University of Delaware FSC's post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DT_BMZVD0uV/

Wednesday January 29, 2025 we lost our community members on Flight 5342. This Thursday will make one year since that tragedy occurred. We will have a memorial set up in Fred Rust Arena from January 27th until February 1st. Please feel free to stop by during rink hours.

Their memorial table in the lobby of Rust Arena in Newark, DE: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUBYX1MkeRJ/

Providence (RI) Journal paywalled article on Doug Lane (Jan. 27) - Barrington's Doug Lane channels grief into advocacy after midair crash: https://www.providencejournal.com/s...r-change-after-flight-5342-crash/87920485007/

A year after he lost his wife and son in the nation's worst aviation disaster in decades, Barrington resident Doug Lane is determined to make sure that the preventable tragedy isn’t repeated again.
Christine Conrad Lane, 49, and Spencer Lane, 16, were among the 67 people killed when American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 29, 2025. They'd traveled to Wichita, Kansas, so that Spencer could attend an elite U.S. Figure Skating training camp and were on their way home. ...

Photos of Doug Lane "at home in Barrington. In the year since his wife and son died in a midair crash over the Potomac River, he has worked with family members of other victims to make the skies safer and prevent another such tragedy." (I was able to open and view this gallery): https://www.providencejournal.com/p...legacy-flight-5342-crash-victims/88182536007/
Some photos are captioned: "Doug Lane hopes to establish a dog park at Haines Memorial State Park in Barrington named in honor of his late wife, Christine Conrad Lane, an animal lover who helped find foster homes for dogs."

(Edited post to fix formatting.)

 

[Sylvia]

Associated Press article by Dave Skretta (Jan. 28) - Maxim Naumov heads to Olympics, hoping to honor his parents and the others killed in airline crash:

Maxim Naumov heads to Olympics, hoping to honor his parents and the others killed in airline crash

Maxim Naumov reflects on his journey to the Milan Cortina Olympics, carrying the memory of his parents, former world champion skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

apnews.com

Excerpts:

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Maxim Naumov sat silently on a chair deep inside the Enterprise Center, away from the packed crowd in the arena, the prying eyes of the TV cameras, the friends, family and strangers who had been showering him well-wishes for the better part of a year.
Naumov stared at a photograph of him standing alongside his parents, former pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. It was taken when Naumov was about 3, a little tyke trying to find his footing on the ice for the first time. It had been stuck inside a photo album tucked away above the refrigerator in his Connecticut home.

Naumov remembers the emotional toll of the first 24 hours. Several of his close friends were by his side, including Spencer Howe, who along with pairs teammate Emily Chan will be joining Naumov at their first Winter Games next week in Italy.
“When all that stuff was going down,” Howe recalled, “I was right there with him in Washington. We were getting updates and just trying to figure out what was going on, and the state of the situation. We just tried to do whatever we could.”

To this day, Naumov wears around his neck a simple gold chain with a cross, which he received on his baptism day. On his finger is a white gold ring with a single diamond, which his father once wore on his pinkie and passed down to him several years ago.
They are tangible reminders of his parents. And they are going with Naumov to the Olympics.
“I mean, there’s parts of life that are difficult, you know? But I think within those difficult times and moments of like, talking about this story, it’s still such a privilege to share,” he said. “My intention is to share it as much as possible, because not only do my parents deserve all the praise and recognition and the fact that I wouldn’t be here without them, but also to inspire other athletes, or people in general, to know that there is a way. No matter what, there is a way.”

(I will cross-post this article link in Max's Cheer thread.)

 

[Sylvia]

One Year Later: Northern Virginia skating community honors Potomac crash victims by Sébastien Kraft (Jan. 28):
https://www.insidenova.com/news/lou...cle_f03a1700-509c-4220-9c6c-15c244777004.html

Holding back a sudden swell of emotion, Alexis Winch paused to take a breath.
“It’s been hard,” the 11-year-old Ashburn figure skater said Tuesday of the fallout from the Jan. 29, 2025, crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. “Some people left the rink, some even quit. It’s just like – you’re losing a lot of people. A lot of people switched rinks because their coach died or they lost someone really important to them.”
Winch was friends with Everly Livingston, 14, a victim of the regional jet’s mid-air collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. [...]
“I remember with Everly, before she went to the camp, we were watching nationals on her phone, and we were on the ice and we’re sitting on the bench,” Winch told reporters, “and she was like, ‘Whoa, that guy did a back flip,’ and we were just laughing and looking at the phone. It was really fun.”

Everhardt's father, Jonathan, said the impact of the accident is far-reaching.
“The skating community is very close and Sarah was deeply affected by this tragic accident,” Jonathan Everhardt told InsideNoVa via text message. “She was close with many of those involved and wishes the best for all of those impacted. She was proud of how the community came together last year to support each other and she felt privileged to be able to skate at Legacy on Ice [at Capital One Arena March 2, 2025] and honor their memory.”

Brad Surdam, Ashburn Ice House general manager, revealed the sculpture design while on the ice during Tuesday’s ceremony at the rink. Surdam honored the victims of Flight 5342 from the Ashburn location and MedStar Capitals Iceplex, both falling under the corporate purview of CRP Management Group.
“The sculpture has two skaters, both reaching to be the best they could be,” Surdam said. “Each sculpture will be displayed in a memorial case at each facility, with a candle lit on the anniversary.”

Kitty Kelly McGorry, director of Capital Theater on Ice, was Alydia Livingston’s head figure skating coach.
“It’s hard for me to imagine it’s been one year,” McGorry said. “It feels more like 10 days or 10 years. It’s just been painful. But I feel like I miss them every day, and I feel like they’re very much a piece of the fabric of the Ashburn Ice House. In how I coach, I feel like ‘Inna V.’ who is [the late] Inna Volyanskaya, who was a peer of mine, I feel I use her exercises every day – so I think about her.”

ETA link to a related news video by WUSA 9 - NoVa rinks honor skaters who died in DCA disaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cHCcaRgMgM

Wichita Figure Skating Club to hold moment of silence for Flight 5342 victims by KAKE's Maddy Terril (includes video):
https://www.kake.com/home/wichita-f...cle_17c0f769-4be7-4db0-a549-b019c53894bb.html

The Wichita Figure Skating Club says it will host a moment of silence Thursday, Jan. 29.
At 4:45 p.m. in the main ice rink at the Wichita Ice Center, all are invited to gather on the ice and honor those who lost their lives on American Airlines flight 5342. [...]
Since the crash, the ice center has added an imprint on the main rink’s ice that has the Wichita flag, ice skates, and a message that reads “forever in our hearts.”
Ahead of the moment of silence, the skating club has placed a table with materials to make origami hearts in the lobby. The club plans to string them together to hang during the moment of silence.
The memorial service tomorrow will be livestreamed and done in tandem with many other skating clubs across the country.

 

[Sylvia]

I've bumped up the OTBT thread about the 1/29/2025 air collision tragedy and posted info from the National Transportation Safety Board's hearing yesterday in D.C.: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-in-washington-dc.112582/page-10#post-6879525

Christine Brennan just tweeted a non-paywalled link to her column, How a figure skating community lives with the loss of its future greats:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016614333984145883

Excerpt:

Four of them were on the plane: 12-year-old Brielle Beyer, 16-year-old Edward Zhou, 16-year-old Cory Haynos and Olivia. A year later, Weisiger proudly talked about each for USA TODAY's Milan Magic podcast: How they learned a new jump, how they tore across the ice, how proud they were to be selected for the national development camp.
Brielle, she said, “was this little sprite that motored around the rink and she was unstoppable.”
Edward? “There was something so magical about little Eddie. … He was one of those kids that everybody felt joyful around.”
Cory? “Right before they went to (Kansas), Cory achieved his triple axel, which was unbelievable.”
And Olivia? “She was my last lesson with those kids before they went to Kansas. She said, ‘Coach Audrey, this is the biggest moment of my life, I’ve been working for so long to try and get to this camp. I’ll make you proud.’"
Now, when Weisiger visits the kids’ gravesites, disbelief often sets in. “I had never been to so many funerals for children in my life,” she said.

Brennan/Boitano's Jan. 28, 2026 podcast episode (37 mins.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoC4_7XzB6M

One year ago 28 members of the figure skating community perished in Flight 5342. Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano speak with family and coaches about this tragedy and how they hope those victims are remembered. They also recall how this is not the first time a plane crash has devastated the figure skating community. They look back on how a crash in 1961 affected U.S. Skating and the career of up-and-coming skater, Peggy Fleming.

ETA that I thought Audrey Weisiger was especially moving as she eloquently reminisced about her 4 young students.