At this time, we do not believe anyone survived the accident,” he said.
Natalya Gudin and her husband, Alexandr Kirsanov, coached the two young figure skaters. They had to make a difficult decision about who would accompany the children, ultimately choosing that her husband would go while she remained at home.
Tragically, Alexandr Kirsanov and the two skaters lost their lives in the crash.
In an emotional interview with ABC News, Gudin shared, “I lost everything. I lost my husband, my students, my friends.”
Her final conversation with her husband occurred Wednesday afternoon, just before he boarded the flight. He said, “It’s time to board,” and promised to call her once they had landed.
Sadly, that call never came.
On Thursday morning, she got the heartbreaking news that her husband and their students had tragically passed away.
It has since been revealed that two World Champion figure skaters were also aboard the flight.
Russian skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were among the first victims identified in the tragic crash. The pair had won the World Figure Skating Championship in 1994.
US Figure Skating issued a statement saying, “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. 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.”
Reports suggest that there were as many as 15 figure skaters aboard the flight.
CBS has now released audio from the moments leading up to the crash. An official can be heard saying, “The accident occurred in the river. Both the helicopter and the plane crashed into the river.”
A controller described what they saw shortly after the crash: “It likely ended up somewhere in the river. I just saw a huge fireball, and then it vanished. I haven’t seen anything since they struck the river,” they recalled. “It was a CR-J and a helicopter involved, I’d estimate about half a mile from the approach.”
Another pilot remarked, “We spotted flares from the other side of the Potomac” after witnessing the crash, while an approach controller mentioned, “It seems both planes are in the river; a search and rescue operation is underway.”
Reports indicate that the AA plane broke into two parts and is submerged about seven feet underwater in the Potomac River. Rescue teams are actively searching for survivors, with at least 18 bodies said to have been recovered from the water.
An Army spokesperson confirmed, “The aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, and it was on a training flight.”
“We are collaborating with local authorities and will share more details as soon as they become available.”
American Airlines released this statement: “If you think you might have loved ones aboard Flight 5342, please contact American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. For calls from outside the US, visit news.aa.com to find other contact numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands can reach us directly at 800-679-8215.”
President Trump released a statement on Wednesday evening: “I have received a full briefing on the tragic accident that occurred at Reagan National Airport.”
“May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
64 people were aboard, and officials confirm that all have sadly lost their lives. As of this moment, 28 bodies have been recovered.
A heartbreaking tragedy. Rest in peace.
