Happy New Year 2025

Tag: collided

  • American ice skater Anton Spiridonov ‘was not on’ the plane that collided with an Army helicopter

    American ice skater Anton Spiridonov ‘was not on’ the plane that collided with an Army helicopter

    U.S. ice skater Anton Spiridonov refuted claims suggesting he was on board the commercial jet that collided in midair with an Army helicopter Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

    “Russian news outlets have included me on a list of presumed people on the flight from Wichita to Washington D.C.,” the skater shared on Instagram. 

    “I was NOT on this flight, thank you for everyone’s concern for my safety. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this tragedy.” 

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    Anton Spiridonov bows after skating in the championship free dance competition during the U.S. figure skating championships at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., Jan. 28, 2023. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports)

    Spiridonov won the silver medal at the World University Games in 2023. He also finished sixth at the U.S. Championships that same year. Spiridonov also paid tribute to his father’s former “skating partner,” Inna Volyanskaya. 

    “Dads skating partner,” he wrote on a post to his Instagram story. “Rest in peace, Inna.”

    LIVE UPDATES: AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE, ARMY HELICOPTER COLLIDE OUTSIDE REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT NEAR WASHINGTON DC

    Flight 5342 carried 60 passengers and four crew members, according to a statement from American Airlines. The flight took off from an airport in Wichita, Kansas.

    Authorities confirmed there were three U.S. service members aboard the Army Black Hawk helicopter when the aircraft departed Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The airfield is located about 15 miles southwest of Reagan Washington National.

    Emergency response units respond to the crash site of an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter

    Emergency units respond to the crash site of an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter on the Potomac River in Arlington, Va., Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

    The passenger jet and the military helicopter both crashed into the Potomac River as the commercial plane was approaching one of the airport runways. In a news conference Thursday morning, officials confirmed that 27 bodies from the plane and one from the Black Hawk helicopter had been pulled from the frigid waters.

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    U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that “several members of our skating community” were aboard the flight. The organization said they were returning home from a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded Sunday.

    Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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    Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

  • American figure skater says he was barred from flight that collided with Army helicopter

    American figure skater says he was barred from flight that collided with Army helicopter

    An American figure skater was barred from the American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan International Airport on Thursday night.

    Jon Maravilla told Russia’s Sputnik he was not allowed on the flight because his dog was too big to board. He said he ultimately decided to make the 14-hour drive back from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. He also mentioned the issue on his personal Instagram account.

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    Rescue workers respond to the scene on the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

    “Not allowed past gate to board flight,” he wrote in one post. “Get me tf out of Kansas please.”

    He added, “14 hour journey begins.”

    Maravilla told RIA Novosti that there were “about 14 figure skaters on the plane, not counting their parents and coaches,” according to The New York Times.

    LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

    Rescuers work on the Potomac River in Washington DC after a tragic plane crash

    Emergency lights are reflected in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Brandon)

    “Such a tragedy,” he added.

    At least 60 people were aboard the American Airlines flight.

    U.S. Figure Skating did not confirm the number of members of its organization on the plane.

    “U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” the organization said. “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.

    American Eagle flight 5342 crashes in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

    Emergency service vehicles stand near the site of the crash after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed in the Potomac River, outside Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

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    “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.”

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    Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.