Russian Coaches Feared Lost in American Airlines Plane Crash
Russian state media reports that Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, renowned ice skating coaches and former world champions, were on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River near Washington DC on Wednesday night.
The married couple, who won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994, resided in the United States where they trained aspiring ice skaters.
Their son, Maxim, is also believed to have been on the plane, as reported by Russia's Tass and RIA news agencies. He was participating in the US figure skating championships held in Wichita, Kansas, according to the event's official website.
A statement from the national US figure skating governing body confirmed that athletes, coaches, and family members were on the crashed plane. "These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the national development camp held in conjunction with the US figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas," the statement said. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."
In a shocking incident, an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter before crashing into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport, according to officials.
