Teens from a Boston skating club, their mothers, and coaches among passengers killed in air crash

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A crash between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter has killed teen figure skaters returning from a national meet with their mothers and coaches, as well as a group of union steamfitters from the Washington, D.C. area.

They were among 60 travelers and four crew members on board the flight late Wednesday when it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter that was carrying three soldiers. It appears all on board both aircraft were killed when the plane and helicopter collided over the Potomac River, officials say.

Authorities were searching for remains Thursday as communities grieved. Skating organizations in Philadelphia and the Washington area also said some of their young athletes had been aboard the plane.

“A lot of us are in a great deal of pain and a lot of us are in a great deal of disbelief,” said Adam Blake, a Boston-based choreographer for Disney on Ice who knew the passengers from the Skating Club of Boston.

“My heart is breaking 10 times over,” he said.

Several athletes on the flight had attended a development camp held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships ended Sunday in Wichita, Kansas. Faith leaders held a vigil Thursday in the city council chambers.

“The only way we will get through this is together,” said Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason of Wichita's St. Paul AME Church.

Wichita Skating Center manager Sean O'Reilly said the championships brought a “groundswell of positivity," enthusiastic parents and young athletes from across the U.S. He was “gutted” to learn some of those skaters had been killed.

American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centers in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about family members who may have been aboard Wednesday's downed flight. The hotline can be reached at 1-800 679 8215.

Here’s what we know about who was killed in Wednesday night’s crash:

From the Skating Club of Boston

Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were among those killed, along with their mothers, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, said Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston, during a Thursday news conference.

Han and Lane were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Lane, about 16 years old, and Han were traveling with their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, Zeghibe said.

“We watched Jinna just grow up here from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13 year old,” he said. “A great performer, a great competitor, and off the ice, a great kid.”

Lane, who was from Barrington, Rhode Island, took part in his first professional show in December with Elin Schran's company, Joy Skate Productions, she said.

“It was a new experience for him. He was nervous. And then after the show ended, he came over and he was just beaming,” Schran said.

"He started to discover this connection with the audience and that joy that he was giving to other people through his gift.”

In a statement, the Lane family recalled Christine Lane for both her singular talents and her dedication to parenting.

"Christine exuded creativity throughout her life, using her formal graphic design training as a jumping-off point for seemingly endless creative pursuits across areas such as photography, quilting, knitting, and more. She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo,” the family said.

Shishkova and Naumov won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan. The Russia-born pair also competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S. and was not on board the flight.

From northern Virginia

Three students from schools in Fairfax County, Virginia and six parents from the district were on board the plane, superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to families. She did not identify them, but said the students were from different schools and that two of the parents were current or former district staffers.

In neighboring Loudoun County, a coach at a skating club was also identified as among the passengers, Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam confirmed. The club, Ashburn Ice House, said that its “figure skating community has been directly affected,” but did not give further details.

From a Maryland union

Those killed also included four steamfitters, all members of a United Association union local in suburban Maryland, union leaders said in a social media post Thursday.

“Our focus now is on providing support and care to the families of our Brothers as we continue to gather more information in the coming days,” said the post by UA General President Mark McManus and Chris Madello, the business manager of Local 602.

From the military

The bodies of all three soldiers who were on the helicopter have been recovered, officials say.

Officials said the remains will be at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. That office coordinates the dignified transfer of fallen service members.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced. No identities of the crew have been released.

The three soldiers were doing an annual night proficiency training flight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding they were a “fairly experienced crew.” Officials were notifying relatives, he said.

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Casey reported from Boston and Geller reported from New York. Associated Press journalists Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Christine Fernando in Chicago; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; and Nicholas Ingram in Wichita, Kansas, contributed.