Washington DC Plane Crash: Luke Wang Reacts as US Figure Skating Championship Contestants Among Victims of American Airlines Accident

Multiple victims of the Washington DC Plane crash were associated with US figures from Skating Championship contestants and coaches, including Team USA pair skater Luke Wang has confirmed. According to reports, 19 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River so far, and search and rescue teams are scouring the waters in freezing temperatures, according to a police official who spoke during the press conference. The crash involved American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk military helicopter.

"The challenges are excess. The water we are operating in is about 80 feet deep. There is wind and pieces of ice out there. It's dangerous and hard to work in... The water is dark and murky and it is a very tough condition for divers to dive in," said John Donnelly, Chief DC Fire and EMS Chief.

as we hold everybody on board in our thoughts, we will continue to wait for official information to be released.

— LUKE WANG (@lukeawang) January 30, 2025

“Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to D.C. Among the passengers were skatters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking,” Wang wrote in a post on X. Wang said that he is waiting for official confirmation from the authorities regarding the death of his partner Olivia Flores. "as we hold everybody on board in our thoughts, we will continue to wait for official information to be released."

🚨#BREAKING: According to reports, with Team USA pair skater Luke Wang confirming that many U.S. Figure Skating Championship contestants and coaches are believed to have been on the jet that crashed earlier this evening

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 30, 2025

In an interview with Sky News, a man said that his wife, daughter and her best friend were on board the flight and had been in Wichita, Kansas, for the US Figure Skating Championship, which was held in the city between January 20 and 26.

Also Read | American Airlines CEO Robert Isom Releases Video Statement on Washington DC Plane Crash.

Several contestants who participated in the championship remained in Kansas to take part in the national Development Camp, Wang told the Wichita Star Eagle, reported Yahoo news.

Team USA ice dancer Ethan Peal also posted on X: “I am in shock. Praying for families and my skating community.” In another post, he wrote, "Dear God I can’t take this. Hug your loved ones. I’m sorry ♥️."

Dear God I can’t take this. Hug your loved ones. I’m sorry ♥️

— Ethan Peal (@ethanpeal_ice) January 30, 2025

Two of the people on board the American Airlines flight have been named as Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, they were the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship pairs winners.