Happy New Year 2025

Tag: deadly

2025 air travel is off to a deadly start with four plane crashes

Footage from Mark Fitzpatrick shows the plane lying upside down, and emergency services responding. (Credit: Mark Fitzpatrick via Storyful)

2025 has seen four major plane crashes in recent weeks.

The four incidents have occurred in Toronto, Alaska, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Of those crashes, three resulted in fatalities, according to reports.

Different operators were involved in each of the incidents.

Delta Connection Flight 4819

First responders work at the Delta Air Lines plane crash site at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 17, 2025. (REUTERS/Arlyn McAdorey)

Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 crash-landed Monday at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the airline.

Video of the incident captured the plane rolling upside down during the crash and continuing to slide down the runway.

The flight, operated by Delta’s regional subsidiary, Endeavor Air, had 76 passengers and four crew on board the CRJ-900 at the time of the incident.

There were no fatalities in the crash. However, 21 travelers on the plane at the time were taken to the hospital, all but three of which have since been released, according to a Tuesday morning update from Delta.

DELTA CEO STATEMENT ON TORONTO CRASH, FOOTAGE OBTAINED

“Our most pressing priority remains taking care of all customers and Endeavor crew members who were involved. We’ll do everything we can to support them and their families in the days ahead, and I know the hearts, thoughts and prayers of the entire Delta community are with them,” CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.

The FAA said Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is heading up an investigation into the crash.

Bering Air Flight 445

The Coast Guard located missing Bering Air Flight 445 on Feb. 7 after it crashed nearly three dozen miles southwest of Nome, Alaska.

The plane had disappeared the previous day while traveling to the Nome Airport from the Unalakleet Airport, FOX Weather reported.

The 10 people on the plane died in the crash, according to officials.

“The tragic accident that occurred on February 6, 2025, has shaken us all to our core,” Bering Air said in a statement on its website. “This has been an unprecedented event for both our team and our customers, and we are truly heartbroken by the loss.”

“Our hearts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking event, and we extend our most sincere condolences, thoughts, and prayers to everyone involved. We will continue to honor and remember those we’ve lost, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to serving the public with the utmost care and compassion.”

Medical transport jet

Police and fire vehicles are seen at the site of the medical plane crash in Philadelphia on Feb. 2, 2025. (Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The deadly crash of a Learjet 55, which was serving as medical transport, occurred in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, according to the FAA.

A pediatric patient, her mother and four crew members were on the plane when it crashed shortly after departing Northeast Philadelphia Airport, all six of whom died, the city of Philadelphia said in a press release. Shriner’s Children’s said the patient had received treatment at its hospital.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS OF THE PHILADELPHIA CRASH

A motorist on the ground also died, the city said.

“We are devastated by the tragic loss of life and my thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as each person injured by this terrible tragedy,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a Feb. 1 statement.

Two dozen people on the ground sustained injuries due to the crash.

It also caused heavy fire at some homes and vehicles, the city said.

American Eagle Flight 5342

Emergency response units search the crash site of an American Airlines plane in the Potomac River on Jan. 30, 2025, after the plane crashed the previous night while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

The midair collision between American Eagle Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter on Jan. 29 left all the plane’s 64 passengers and crew and the helicopter’s three personnel dead.

American Airlines’ subsidiary PSA Airlines was operating the flight. It was “on approach to Runway 33” at the Washington, D.C.-area’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at the time of the collision, according to the FAA.

PLANE CRASH IN DC: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED

Robert Isom, the CEO of American Airlines, called the crash “a devastating day for our American Airlines family” and said it “weighs heavily on our airline, the industry and the world.”

Salvage crews had largely removed the wreckage of both aircraft from the water as of early February, according to NBC Washington.

February 18, 2025
Israel releases Palestinian prisoners linked to deadly attacks on civilians

Palestinians linked to suicide bombings and attempted murders are among the 369 released Saturday by Israel in its latest exchange for hostages captured by Hamas.

Thirty-six of the detainees were serving out life sentences in Israeli prisons, but only 12 of them were allowed to return to their homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The other 24 are being sent to exile.

Those released Saturday were wearing white sweatshirts given to them by the Israeli Prison Service upon their release, emblazoned with a Star of David, the Prison Service logo and the phrase “Never forgive, never forget” written in Arabic on the front and back, according to the Associated Press. A video later posted on X purportedly showed those sweatshirts being burned.

Among those that returned to the West Bank were Ibrahim and Musa Sarahneh, who served more than 22 years in prison for their involvement in suicide bombings that killed a number of Israelis during the second intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israel in the early 2000s.

AMERICAN-ISRAELI HOSTAGE RELEASED BY HAMAS EMBRACES HIS WIFE, FAMILY AFTER BEING APART FOR NEARLY 500 DAYS

Ahmed Barghouti, right, and his fiancé await his sentencing in a military court near Ramallah in the West Bank on July 30, 2003. He ultimately received 13 life sentences for dispatching gunmen who killed 12 Israelis during the second intifada. Barghouti was among the Palestinian prisoners released by Israel on Saturday, Feb. 15. (Reuters/Gil Cohen Magen/JDP)

Their other brother, Khalil Sarahneh, who was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to life in 2002, was sent to Egypt.

Hassan Aweis, who also was sentenced to life in 2002 on charges of voluntary manslaughter, planting an explosive device and attempted murder, according to Israel’s Justice Ministry, was among the few released prisoners welcomed by joyous crowds in Ramallah.

He was involved in planning attacks during the second intifada for the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the AP reported.

The group, which is designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization, was “formed in late 2000 during the second intifada as a militant wing of the West Bank’s Fatah political faction” and “seeks to drive Israeli military forces and settlers from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip and establish a Palestinian state,” according to the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

A crowd burns the shirts worn by freed Palestinian prisoners in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Feb. 15. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE THAN 300 PRISONERS

Hassan Aweis’s brother, Abdel Karim Aweis, whom Israel’s Justice Ministry said was sentenced to the equivalent of six life sentences for charges including throwing an explosive device, attempted murder and assault, was transferred to Egypt.

Ahmed Barghouti was also sent to Egypt on Saturday. Barghouti, who once was a commander in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, was given a life sentence for dispatching assailants and suicide bombers to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians during the second intifada.

Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted by a crowd in Khan Younis as they arrive in the Gaza Strip after being released from an Israeli prison on Saturday, Feb. 15. (AP/Jehad Alshrafi)

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Barghouti is a close aide of Marwan Barghouti, a popular Fatah leader who remains in Israeli custody.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

February 15, 2025
Deadly bird flu genotype in Nevada dairy cattle

Fox News senior correspondent Jonathan Serrie speaks to medical and agricultural experts about lactose and dairy cattle testing for bird flu.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently confirmed the deadly bird flu genotype responsible for killing flocks nationwide was found in Nevada dairy cattle.

The APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) on Friday found the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) genotype D1.1 in dairy cattle, according to a statement.

The confirmation came a result of state tracing and investigation, following an initial detection on silo testing under the USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy in Nevada, officials said.

BIRD FLU OUTBREAK AT GEORGIA POULTRY FACILITY PAUSES SALES

“USDA APHIS continues to work with the Nevada Department of Agriculture by conducting additional on-farm investigation, testing, and gathering additional epidemiological information to better understand this detection and limit further disease spread,” the statement read.

This is the first detection of the virus genotype in dairy cattle – all previous detections in dairy cattle have been a different genotype, B3.13.

Milk prices have increased 14.1% from $3.47 per gallon in Jan. 2021 to $3.96 per gallon in June 2024. (FOX Business / Fox News)

SHELLING OUT: EGG PRICES RISE NEARLY 37 PERCENT

Genotype D1.1 represents the predominant genotype in the North American flyways over the fall and winter and has been identified in wild birds, mammals and spillovers into domestic poultry, according to APHIS.

Eggs are becoming increasingly difficult to find and more expensive nationwide due to the bird flu, Fox Business previously reported.

The detection does not change USDA’s HPAI eradication strategy and “is a testament to the strength of our National Milk Testing Strategy,” according to officials.

CALIFORNIA, USA – JANUARY 23: Egg shelves are seen with a note apologizing to customers for the price increase after the reduction in productivity brought on by poultry fatalities caused by various illnesses, in San Mateo, California, United States o ((Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

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In the interest of sharing information of import to the scientific community, APHIS will publish a technical brief on the findings on its website and post the sequence data on GenBank in the coming week.

February 6, 2025
Army saw spike in deadly aviation accidents in year before DC plane crash disaster

Wednesday’s deadly collision between an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter outside Washington, D.C., followed the Army’s highest rate of flight mishaps in more than a decade.

Army aviation saw 17 class A mishaps, accidents that killed someone or caused more than $2.5 million worth of damage during fiscal year 2024. Fifteen of those were during flights, and two were ground aircraft mishaps.

That followed nine flight and one aircraft ground incidents in 2023 and four flight and four ground mishaps in 2022.

“FY24 will be a year that Army Aviation looks back on in hopes of never repeating,” stated a dismal Army report, released just before the deadly collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people.

THIRD SOLDIER INSIDE BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER INVOLVED IN DC MIDAIR COLLISION IDENTIFIED

Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, was the third pilot identified in the Black Hawk crash last week. (Getty/US Army)

Fiscal year 2024 saw the most class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours since 2007. Nine soldiers and one civilian died in flight mishaps, while one contractor died in an aircraft ground accident, according to the report.

The 1.9 class A mishaps per 100,000 was nearly four times the rate of 2022, 0.5 per 100,000.

In an average year, Army aviation mishaps kill six crew members.

There were 66 class A-C mishaps, meaning aviation incidents where over $60,000 worth of damage was incurred or personnel were injured enough to miss work.

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The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in the Washington, D.C.-area crash is not the force’s most accident-prone aircraft; it was only involved in one of the 2024 major incidents, while nine such incidents involved AH-64 Apaches.

Last week’s crash was the first class A mishap for fiscal year 2025.

55 VICTIMS IN WASHINGTON, DC MIDAIR COLLISION PULLED FROM POTOMAC RIVER AS RECOVERY OPERATION CONTINUES

The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in the Washington, D.C.-area crash is not the Army’s most accident-prone aircraft. (US Army-Cap. Adan Cezarez)

The Navy had 11 Class A aviation mishaps in FY 2024, and the Marine Corps had six. Five Marines died in a CH-53E Super Stallion crash last February. The Air Force, which has more aviators than any other branch, had 20 class A mishaps in FY 2024.

The Army attributed the spike in incidents to an “ineffective safety culture.”

Its aviation review called for more recording and reviewing of flight footage with superiors after it found that the average flight experience is down 300 hours per aviator from 2013. While crew experience was not cited in every incident, the Army deemed it “a hazard that must be considered.”

“While it’s understandable to have concerns about “big brother” monitoring, the primary goal of flight data analysis is to improve safety, not to punish or scrutinize individual pilots,” the Army’s Combat Readiness Center said in the report.

HARROWING VIDEO FROM MILITARY BASE SHOWS NEW ANGLE OF MIDAIR CRASH CATASTROPHE

This image shows the wreckage of a plane that collided with a Black Hawk over the Potomac River. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

After more than a dozen aviators died in the first half of fiscal year 2023, the Army conducted an aviation-wide stand down in April 2023, temporarily grounding all regular missions and training to assess safety issues.

However, the accidents continued. In April 2024, the Army executed a safety “stand up” with training on new safety protocols and procedures. After the stand up, the class A mishap rate for the remainder of FY 2024 dropped to 0.86 per 100,000 flight hours.

Last week Army secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll promised senators he would emphasize a “culture of safety” after the deadly crash, which he said “seems to be preventable.”

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“There are appropriate times to take risk and there are inappropriate times to take risk,” he said. “I don’t know the details around this one, but after doing it, if confirmed, and working with this committee to figure out the facts, I think we might need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk, and it may not be near an airport like Reagan.”

The Black Hawk, carrying three Army pilots, was conducting an “annual proficiency training flight” when it collided with a commercial regional jet from Wichita, Kansas, as it was on the descent to land at Reagan, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

February 3, 2025
JD Vance weighs in on deadly airliner accident during Fox Business interview

Vice President JD Vance sets the record straight with President Donald Trump’s approach to DEI and more during an appearance on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

Vice President J.D. Vance spoke about what he and President Trump believe contributed to the deadly mid-air collision over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport this week in an exclusive interview on Fox Business’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” February 2nd.

In one of his first TV interviews since becoming the 50th Vice President of the United States last month, Vance spoke to host Maria Bartiromo about Trump’s second-term agenda as well as the major crises the administration has had to tackle only days into the presidency – including the deadly plane crash that claimed 67 lives earlier this week.

“There is a very direct connection between the policies of the last administration and short-staffed air traffic controllers. That has to stop,” Vance told the Fox Business host.

CHILLING AUDIO REVEALS FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE PHILADELPHIA PLANE CRASH

Vice President J.D. Vance speaks to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo in an interview that appears on “Sunday Morning Futures” tomorrow. (Fox Business / FOXBusiness)

Bartiromo asked Vance about Trump mentioning progressive DEI policies in relation to the crash between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that crossed its flight path on Wednesday night.

In a Thursday press conference concerning the crash, Trump targeted DEI standards at the Federal Aviation Administration as contributing the crash, stating, “We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. What matters is intellect, talent. The word ‘talent.’ They have to be talented geniuses. We can’t have regular people doing that job. They won’t be able to do it.”

Bartiromo gave Vance a chance to elaborate on Trump’s statements.

“So the president’s been very clear about this. This is not saying that the person who was at the controls is a DEI hire. But let’s just say, first of all, we should investigate everything, but let’s just say the person at the controls didn’t have enough staffing around him or her because we were turning people away because of DEI reasons,” he told the host.

DC PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATORS RECOVER AMERICAN AIRLINES BLACK BOXES AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

A screenshot from an EarthCam appears to show the moment an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines jet at Reagan Washington National Airport. ((Credit: EarthCam) (EarthCam))

The vice president also slammed the media for grilling Trump over his suggestion. “And by the way, it’s so funny to me the media has picked up on this. Not you, of course, Maria, but others have picked up on this. The president made very clear that he wasn’t blaming anybody, but he was being very explicit about the fact that DEI policies have led our air traffic controllers to be short-staffed.”

“That is a scandal. Thankfully, it’s a scandal that the president has stopped,” Vance added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Bartiromo asked Vance what his political ambitions are after the vice presidency. “You’re one of the youngest vice presidents that we’ve ever seen in the history of our country. Are you expecting to run for president in three and a half years?”

“Maria, you’re the first person who’s asked me that,” Vance replied. Viewers can catch Vance’s full answer when it premieres on “Sunday Morning Futures” tomorrow.

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February 1, 2025
American Airlines subsidiary announced corporate HQ move from Ohio to North Carolina hours before deadly crash

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy provides details during an update on the midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Helicopter.

On Wednesday — the same day as the deadly midair collision between a military helicopter and a passenger airplane that occurred Wednesday night — PSA Airlines had announced plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from Ohio to North Carolina, reports indicate.

PSA Airlines made the announcement “hours before” the fatal crash, the Dayton Daily News reported.

PSA is a subsidiary of American Airlines Group. According to American Airlines, American Eagle Flight 5342, the flight involved in the incident, “was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700.”

DC PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATORS RECOVER AMERICAN AIRLINES BLACK BOXES AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

An American Eagle, operated by PSA Airlines, a CRJ-700 aircraft arrives at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan 22, 2025 in Arlington, Va. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to American Airlines and PSA Airlines for comment about the announced headquarters relocation, but did not receive comment in time for publication.

It appears that there was a page on the PSA airlines website about the headquarters relocation announcement — but the link to that press release, as well as other links to the PSA Airlines website, currently redirect to the homepage of the American Airlines website.

THE MOST RECENT COMMERCIAL AVIATION ACCIDENTS IN THE US

The Punaro Group CEO Gen. Arnold Punaro (ret.) weighs in on the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the D.C. plane crash and Tulsi Gabbard’s Senate confirmation hearing.

“We chose to relocate PSA’s headquarters to Charlotte for several important reasons, including that Charlotte is where most of our daily departures occur and almost all our training is based,” PSA president and CEO Dion Flannery noted, according to the Dayton Daily News. “Charlotte is a vibrant community and home to the world’s seventh-busiest airport.”

“While we’re looking forward to getting integrated into the Charlotte community, I want to sincerely thank the city of Dayton, its leaders and the entire Dayton community for embracing and supporting PSA for so many years. We will continue to have a presence in Dayton with a maintenance hangar and crew base, including more than 550 Dayton-based team members,” he noted, according to the outlet.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CEO ON AMERICAN AIRLINES CRASH IN DC: ‘OUR HEARTS GO OUT’

Helicopter pilot Dean Wegner argues there’s ‘a longer story’ behind the tragic American Airlines and helicopter aircraft collision and shares his condolences.

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Dozens lost their lives due to the deadly crash.

“Sadly, there are no survivors,” President Trump said on Thursday.

The incident is under investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s media relations division noted in Thursday a post on X that “NTSB investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane involved in yesterday’s mid-air collision at DCA. The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation.”

January 31, 2025
Wizards hold moment of silence for victims of deadly midair collision in Washington

The Washington Wizards held a moment of silence Thursday for the victims of the deadly crash involving a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport.

The Wizards hosted the Los Angeles Lakers at the Capital One Arena, and it was the first sporting event in D.C. since Wednesday night’s crash.

Emergency vehicles near the site of the crash after American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington Jan. 29, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

The Wizards had a message on their jumbotron before the game began.

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“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last night,” the statement said. “We extend our thoughts and prayers to those families, loved ones, and all those impacted.

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

Rescuers on boats work as the sun rises at the site of a crash after a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, which was approaching Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington Jan. 30, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

“And we thank all the first responders for their heroic efforts across this massive coordinated effort.”

An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers. All airline passengers and soldiers were presumed dead.

At least 14 members of the figure skating community were on board the plane. Six people with ties to the Skating Club of Boston were among them.

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The Washington Commanders and Washington Nationals also paid tribute to those who lost their lives and showed their support for the first responders who sprang into action to find any potential survivors and recover bodies from the Potomac River.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Figure skating community mourns victims of deadly plane crash collision: ‘At a loss for words’

Members of the figure skating community have spoken out after an American Airlines flight tragically collided with an Army helicopter late Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., leaving all 67 on board both aircraft presumably dead.

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 being held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded on Sunday.

“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.”

A U.S. Park Police helicopter flies over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

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Wichita Mayor Lily Wu did not confirm how many members of U.S. Figure Skating were on board Flight 5342 during a press conference on Thursday morning.

“It was truly an honor to have future Olympians and those who are at the highest competition level of figure skating, right here in our capital,” she said.

“We were so excited to have the opportunity to host the national championship, and even yesterday I had folks tell me how wonderful these last few days have been with additional individuals that came into our community, whether to watch or to participate. So our community was really excited and thankful that everything went well with the championship. And so right now we’re just waiting for more information from U.S. Figure Skating that we can release. But right now we’re just hoping and praying again.”

A U.S. flag flies, as search and rescue teams work, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 30, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

First responders switched to recovery efforts in the Potomac River after it was believed that there were no survivors. There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the flight and three soldiers aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

AMERICAN FIGURE SKATER SAYS HE WAS BARRED FROM FLIGHT THAT COLLIDED WITH ARMY HELICOPTER

“This is heartbreaking,” Team USA figure skater Josphine Lee wrote in a post to her Instagram Stories. “My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone on the flight, including the skaters, coaches, and parents.”

U.S. figure skater Josephine Lee called the deadly plane collision in Washington, D.C., “heartbreaking” in a post on social media. (William Purnell-Imagn Images)

Team USA pair skater Luke Wang shared a similar sentiment in a post on X.

“Praying for all those on the flight from wichita to dc. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking.”

Several other Team U.S. figure skaters also took to social media.

“Words cannot fathom the fear and sadness I feel from this event,” reigning pairs U.S. junior champion Hana Maria Aboian said early Thursday morning. “It is absolutely terrible and I pray for all the athletes, coaches, and everyone onboard to be safe and healthy.”

“I am at a loss for words… I can’t even explain how devastated I feel for the loss of amazing people that were on this flight. I’m sending prayers to their families and the figure skating community,” Starr Andrews said.

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U.S. figure skater Starr Andrews mourned the tragic loss in a post on social media, adding that she was “at a loss for words.” All 67 people onboard the flight and helicopter are presumed dead. (Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)

The International Skating Union also released a statement.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport—it’s a close-knit family—and we stand together. We remain in close contact with U.S. Figure Skating and offer our full support during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read in part.

Two former Olympians, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also believed to be among the victims of the plane crash, the Kremlin confirmed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 30, 2025
Trump pardons former DC police officers convicted in deadly chase

Two police officers convicted in the death of a man riding a moped in Washington, D.C., have received pardons from President Donald Trump, the White House announced Wednesday.

Former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lt. Andrew Zabavsky, 56, who was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, was sentenced in September in the 2020 death of Karon Hylton-Brown. Another former MPD officer, Terence Sutton Jr., 40, was also convicted and sentenced in the case.

In a statement, the White House said Trump granted Zabavsky and Sutton full and unconditional pardons.

On Tuesday, the DC Police Union said it was working with the Trump administration to ensure pardons for Zabavsky and Sutton. That same day, Trump said he approved pardons for both men.

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS ON INAUGURATION DAY

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Tuesday in Washington. On Wednesday, Trump pardoned two former Washington, D.C., police officers convicted in the death of a man killed during a deadly chase. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“I just approved it,” Trump said during a press conference. “They arrested the two officers to put them in jail for going after a criminal.”

In a statement Tuesday, the union said both men were wrongly convicted and maliciously prosecuted.

DOJ’S ‘EXCESSIVE’ TREATMENT OF JAN. 6 RIOTERS ‘UNDERMINED’ THE PROSECUTIONS, TURLEY SAYS AFTER PARDONS

“These officers — men of integrity and dedication — were targeted by corrupt prosecutors who weaponized the legal system against them,” the union said.

Sutton was convicted and sentenced to 66 months in prison for Hylton-Brown’s death, while Zabavsky was sentenced to a 48-month prison term.

Karon Hylton-Brown, 20, died during a police chase while riding a moped, authorities said. Two former Washington, D.C., police officers were found guilty for their roles in his death. President Donald Trump pardoned them. (WTTG)

Hylton-Brown was riding a moped without a helmet on a sidewalk Oct. 23, 2020, when Sutton tried to pull him over in an unmarked car, authorities said. A chase ensued, reaching speeds of more than double the speed limit on residential streets, the Justice Department said.

Hylton-Brown was eventually struck by a vehicle in an alley during the pursuit. He sustained severe head trauma and died two days later. The pursuit appeared to violate the Metropolitan Police Department’s policy prohibiting chases.

High-speed chases are barred over minor traffic offenses.

District of Columbia police show an almost constant presence at the intersection of 5th St NW and Kennedy St NW, where police initiated a chase that led to the death of Karon Hylton, 20. He was killed in a collision with a car while riding a rented moped in Washington, D.C., Oct. 23, 2020. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Prosecutors alleged both officers conspired to hide the events that led to Hylton’s death, such as failing to tell superior officers about the seriousness of his injuries.

Prosecutors also claimed the officers deactivated their body cameras minutes after the collision and failed to take statements from witnesses.

January 23, 2025