Dozens of people are feared dead after a midair crash between a passenger jet and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Some passengers of the American Airlines regional jet that collided with a military helicopter and crashed in Washington, D.C., have connections to the Philadelphia region.
Flight 5342 and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided just before 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Wreckage from the crash fell into the Potomac River where recovery operations continued Thursday.
Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va.
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the plane and three soldiers on the helicopter. No survivors are expected.
Here’s what we know about the connections to the Philadelphia region so far:
Delaware Coach Alexandr Kirsanov
The wife of skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov confirmed to ABC News her husband was on the plane.
Natalya Gudin went on to say Kirsanov was with two youth ice skaters on board the flight.
“I lost everything. I lost my husband. I lost my students. I lost my friends,” Gudin said.
Gudin, who also coaches students with her husband in Delaware, said she stayed home to be with their other skaters.
“We are husband and wife,” Gudin said. “We decided who’s going, who’s staying home,” she said. “We decided he would go to the development camp.”
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Gudin last spoke with her husband as he boarded the flight on Wednesday, she said.
“I need my husband back,” Gudin said as she waited at a hotel for further information from authorities. “I need his body back.”
Philadelphia Skating Club
The Philadelphia Skating Club posted a statement on social media Thursday saying the victims include “beloved members” of the club.
No details about those members were released.
The statement from the club, located in Ardmore, Pa., went on to say:
“We feel the immense grief at the loss of so many talented skaters, their coaches and families.
“We share this loss and grieve with the entire USFS community.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone during this tragic time.”
Ice Works Skating Club
In a prepared statement, the Ice Works Skating Club in Aston, Pa. said some of the victims on the plane skated at the club.
No further details were provided.
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