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Wife of Delaware skating coach killed in DC plane crash left devastated by tragedy: ‘I lost everything’

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The wife of a Delaware skating coach says she has “lost everything” after learning that her husband was one of the victims killed when an American Airlines plane collided midair with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., late Wednesday night.

Natalya Gudin told WPVI that she and her husband, Alexandr “Sasha” Kirsanov, were both skating coaches in Delaware. She recalled the now heartbreaking decision that she and her husband made that Kirsanov would travel to Wichita, Kansas, for a development camp.

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

“We are husband and wife,” she told the station. “We decided who’s going, who’s staying home,” she said. “We decided he would go to the development camp.”

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Kirsanov, 46, was one of 67 people killed when American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided near Reagan Washington National Airport at around 9 p.m. local time.

What began as a search and rescue effort turned to a recovery operation after officials said they believed there were no survivors.

Among the victims included several members of the figure skating community. U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that the victims were returning home from a development camp being held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, which concluded on Sunday.

“I lost everything. I lost my husband. I lost my students. I lost my friends,” Gudin told the station.

University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis released a statement Thursday confirming that Kirsanov, a former figure skating coach with the university, was one of the victims in Wednesday’s crash.

Photos of victims following the collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. (Getty Images)

OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER TONYA HARDING CALLS LOSS IN AIRLINE COLLISION ‘ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING’

“I am incredibly saddened to share the news that several members of the figure skating community connected to the University of Delaware were among those who tragically lost their lives in an aircraft collision last night in Washington, DC,” his statement read.

“Kirsanov and the skaters trained at the University’s High Performance Training Center, which uses UD ice rink facilities and has been the training home for many years of multiple world-class skating champions and competitors. The figure skating community is tight-knit, and many of our students and coaches have trained and competed alongside those who were lost.”

Assanis also confirmed that Kirsanov was with “two young skaters” on the flight. He identified them only as members of the UD Figure Skating Club, but Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., later identified them as Sean Kay and Angela Yang.

“I’m devastated to hear the news that at least three Delawareans died during last night’s air collision. Sasha Kirsanov, Sean Kay, and Angela Yang went to Wichita to pursue their passion for figure skating. It is a tragedy that none of them returned home to our state,” his post on X read.

Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

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“Delaware is a state of neighbors, and tonight we hold all of our neighbors a little closer. My heart goes out to Sasha’s wife Natalia, the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, and every other Delawarean touched by the three of them.”

Kirsanov’s daughter, Nicole, also posted a tribute on social media following the loss of her father.

“I miss you Dad, I would do anything to bring you back and tell you that I loved you one more time,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.

Kirsanov was an eight-time national coach and a three-time international junior world coach with nearly a decade of experience.

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January 31, 2025
Olympic gold medalist says DC plane crash hits home as an athlete: ‘That could have been me’

The plane crash near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night struck the sports world when it was revealed that members of the figure skating community were among those on the American Airlines flight.

Six members of the Skating Club of Boston were aboard Flight 5342, and U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement that “several members of our skating community” were on the plane.

The commercial jet collided with an Army helicopter, resulting in the presumed deaths of all 67 people on board the two aircraft combined.

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Rescuers set out after a passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter at Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday. (AP) (Associated Press)

After hearing that the flight carried athletes, potentially those with Olympic dreams, gold medal shot putter Ryan Crouser said the news hit closer to home.

“It’s really difficult to kind of process. As an athlete you spend a lot of time traveling and getting on planes,” Crouser said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “It’s a really difficult time, I think, right now just as a country, and as an athlete as well, just thinking about, ‘Shoot, that could have been me.’”

Ryan Crouser of Team USA competes during the men’s shot put final on day 8 of the Olympic Games Paris at Stade de France on Aug. 3, 2024. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

SKATING BROADCASTERS TARA LIPINSKI, JOHNNY WEIR EMOTIONAL DISCUSSING ‘UNIMAGINABLE’ LOSS FROM PLANE CRASH

For the three-time gold medalist, it was another reminder to not take what he has for granted.

“My heart goes out to the families, and if nothing else, just to be thankful for every day. You have so many great opportunities ahead of you, but you don’t know when that can be taken away, and in a crazy accident like that, definitely a tough time, and my heart goes out to the families.”

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

FBI agents stand near debris on Thursday after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River the previous night. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

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

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 31, 2025
Washington, DC, airline tragedy recalls two devastating plane crashes that rocked sports world

An American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter resulting in one of the most devastating airline disasters in decades hearkened back to two tragedies.

On Wednesday night, several members associated with U.S. Figure Skating and their families were on the aircraft that collided with the helicopter. At least six had ties to the Skating Club of Boston, located in Norwood, Massachusetts.

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

The figure skating community has felt the effects of an airline tragedy in the past.

Eighteen members of the U.S. figure skating team were killed in a plane crash in Berg-Kampenhout, Belgium on their way to Prague for the World Figure Skating Championships. Laurence Owen and Steffi Westerfield were among those killed in the crash. They were considered to be rising stars in the sport and were preparing for an Olympic bid.

There were 73 people aboard Sabena Flight 548. The New York Daily News reported, citing investigators, that it was likely the jet’s stabilizers that caused the incident.

“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,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement on Thursday. “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.

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

View of the scene of the plane crash of the Sabena Flight 548, on February 15, 1961, near Brussels after the Boeing 707 aircraft crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City, killing 72 people on their way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. (STF/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images)

“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.”

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu addressed the tragedy in a news conference.

“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.”

The city of Wichita was described as a tightknit community, which is also no stranger to tragic aircraft incidents.

Wichita State University’s football team, flying in a Martin 404, crashed in Colorado in 1970, leaving 31 dead. Eight players and the co-pilot survived, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

The cause of the crash was determined to be because of pilot error.

“Wichita is located in the heart of our nation, and today we are grieving. I received confirmation this morning that no one survived the crash of American Airlines flight 5342,” Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., wrote in a post on Thursday on X.

“This is a sad day for Kansas and our nation. My heart breaks for the lives that were lost and their loved ones who are now learning that their family or friends were on the flight.

The chartered Martin 404 was carrying football players, coaches and guests of Wichita State University to Utah. (Duane Howell/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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“There will be much to learn and do in the coming days in the wake of this tragedy, but today please join me in praying for the victims and their families. May God comfort them and watch over all those who are mourning.”

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Skaters killed in plane crash were Olympic hopefuls, peers say: ‘Absolutely remarkable’

Emotions were running high at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday after six people with ties to the organization died in a plane crash near Reagan International Airport Wednesday night.

Among those who spoke were Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, who couldn’t hold back tears while talking about the crash.

President Donald Trump said there were no survivors after an American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The plane was carrying 64 people, among them teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane and their coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

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Spencer Lane was a figure skater at The Skating Club of Boston. (Imagn)

Three members of The Skating Club of Boston — Misha Mitrofanov, Jimmy Ma and Alisa Efimova — also spoke of their peers, who they say were the next generation of hopeful U.S. Olympians.

“The potential that they showed on the ice and the capabilities they had at such a young age showed that they had promise for the future of this sport,” Mitrofanov, whose partner is Efimova, told reporters Thursday.

Mitrofanov and Efimova had just won the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, in the pairs discipline. That’s where the American Airlines flight was coming from. Han and Lane were returning from a developmental camp over the weekend.

OLYMPIC GREAT NANCY KERRIGAN FIGHTS THROUGH TEARS AS SHE TALKS ABOUT VICTIMS IN TRAGIC PLANE CRASH

“The camp basically brings them in for the championships so that they can watch, for example, Jimmy, or at least an ice skate at a championship level,” Mitrofanov said. “Afterwards, they are part of a fairly strict routine. … Lot of training, lots of drills and exercises that the U.S. Figure Skating wants to see.”

Han, 13, and Lane, 16, were chosen for the developmental camp because of the promise they showed, and Ma was blunt about just how promising these two skaters were.

“Absolutely phenomenal,” Ma said. “If I was their age back when I was their age, they would blow me out of the water. Even Jinna, at 13 years old, I couldn’t do anything. She was already 10 times better than me at such a young age.

Jimmy Ma skates during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell.Imagn Images)

“They showed championship-level skating. It would take time for them to develop to maximize their full potential. But the amount they were able to achieve in such a short amount of time was absolutely remarkable.”

Efimova said the campers were spotted in the crowd in the red jackets they would wear, and as she worked along with Mitrofanov to win in pairs, she used their cheering as motivation.

“They all have these red jackets, so you can really, really identify this community during the competition, which helps me personally a lot to bring a lot of joy into skating,” Efimova said.

Ma also pointed out how great Shishkova and Naumov, winners at the 1994 world championships in pairs while competing in two Olympic Games, were as coaches.

“Their meticulousness in developing young skaters is almost unparalleled,” Ma explained. “You could tell by their son, Max, who I consider not just a friend, but a fierce competitor. I look at him every day, I’m like, ‘Damn, I got to do better.’ That was all them.”

Evgenia Shishkova (left), Vadim Naumov (center) and Spencer Lane (right) were victims of the collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. (Instagram/annehgoldbergbaldwin)

The Skating Club of Boston wasn’t the only figure skating community that was hit by this. The Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Society posted on social media that “beloved members” of its team were on the flight. Skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov and two of his youth skaters were also aboard the fight, according to Kirsanov’s wife, per ABC News.

“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.,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

As the figure skating world and others affected by the crash mourn the losses of loved ones, Mitrofanov said skaters will continue to train and compete with their “family” in mind.

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov receive scores during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell/Imagn Images)

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“Watching these kids skate and watching their fire and love for the sport, that’s what helped us to, honestly, continue training,” Mitrofanov said. “Watching these kids develop helps us want to push ourselves as well. It’s a two-way street that they look up to us, but we also look up to them.”

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
DC plane crash: Top GOP lawmaker demands congressional hearing

EXCLUSIVE: The top Republican on the House Transportation Committee’s subcommittee on aviation is calling for a congressional hearing into the deadly collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C.

“We say we are the gold standard, we just need to continue to maintain that level,” Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who chairs the subcommittee, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

“I just want to sit down with all of them and, when the [National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)] does its report – make sure that it’s very accurate, it’s factual, and that they come up with some recommendations – and then we’ll have to see if we need to change direction or change course based upon those recommendations. But we don’t know yet.”

Nehls praised Transportation Committee Chairman Sam Graves, noting his background as a pilot, and said he would be asking the Missouri Republican to convene meetings with the affected parties and those investigating the incident. Nehls suggested potential closed-door meetings to enable more candid discussions but said a public hearing would also be in order.

DC PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATORS TO REVIEW COMMUNICATION BETWEEN 2 AIRCRAFT: SENATOR

Rep. Troy Nehls, aviation subcommittee chair, is monitoring the situation after an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River. (Getty Images)

“We have to find out the reason for the crash and then come up with, you know, recommendations to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “We don’t need to be sitting on this. I don’t want to hear, ‘It’s going to take 18 months.’ I don’t want to hear that.”

And it appears federal investigators are on that same page.

NTSB officials said they hope to have a preliminary report out in about 30 days.

“I think that would be fair,” Nehls said. “But that shouldn’t stop Congress looking into this and doing what we can to help. I think President Trump… expects it, and he has a right to expect it from us, to make sure that we keep our aviation industry the standard for the world.”

And while he is hoping for quick results, Nehls emphatically cautioned against any early speculation about who or what is to blame for the tragedy.

RECOVERY EFFORTS UNDERWAY AFTER AMERICAN AIRLINES JET, MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDE MIDAIR NEAR DC

FBI agents stand near debris after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 30, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

“Everybody wants to speculate as to how did this happen, why this happened. Whose fault is that? Is it the helicopter? Was it the airplane?” Nehls said.

“I think that is irresponsible. I think you just need to give it time for the NTSB to investigate, you know, conduct a very thorough investigation.”

Finger-pointing and speculation have already run rampant, however. Some have blamed Congress for authorizing too many new airline contracts at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is closer to the U.S. Capitol than the much larger Washington-Dulles International Airport.

Others, primarily on the right, have argued that diversity initiatives by Democratic administrations helped lead to the tragedy.

“I think it’s too early for all of that,” Nehls said when asked about both.

No evidence has come out to support any conclusion or cause of the crash so far.

Crews retrieve wreckage of American Airlines Flight 5342 in the Potomac River. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

Nehls spoke with Fox News Digital the day after a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three service members crashed into a passenger plane heading from Wichita, Kansas, which was moments away from landing at Reagan National Airport.

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Both aircraft were seen plummeting into the Potomac River between Washington and neighboring Arlington, Virginia, where the airport is located.

U.S. officials have said there are no survivors, and recovery efforts are still underway.

Fox News Digital reached out to the House Transportation Committee for comment.

American Airlines has said 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, and the airline encouraged any loved ones looking for information to call the numbers on its site.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

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January 30, 2025
Olympic great Nancy Kerrigan fights through tears as she talks about victims in tragic plane crash

Nancy Kerrigan spoke at an emotional news conference on Thursday after six people with ties to the skating club where she competed died in an airline tragedy near Reagan International Airport near Washington, D.C.

Kerrigan is one of the decorated members of the Skating Club of Boston, along with Dick Button, Tenley Albright and Paul Wylie.

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Former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, right, is embraced while arriving at The Skating Club of Boston with fellow Olympic skater Tenley Albright, left, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The Olympic silver medalist battled through tears as she spoke to reporters. Albright stood beside Kerrigan.

“Much like everyone here has been saying, I’m not sure how to process it,” she said, adding that her husband, who is her agent, kept getting calls to do interviews. “I didn’t feel like it was right to be home and do interviews for this. . . . We just wanted to be here and be a part of our community.”

The Skating Club of Boston identified Jinna Han and Spencer Lane as the two athletes who were killed in the crash. Their mothers and two coaches were also identified as victims.

“I’ve never seen anyone love skating as much as these two, and that’s why I think it hurts so much. . . . Anytime I’ve been able to be here and watch them grow, the kids here really work hard. Their parents work hard to be here, but I feel for the athletes, their skaters, their families, anyone who was on that plane, not just the skaters, because it’s just such a tragic event.

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

Bodies lie on the ground next to emergency vehicles, near the site of the crash after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River, outside Washington, U.S., on January 30, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

“We’ve been through tragedies before as Americans as people, and we are strong, and I guess it’s how we respond to it, and my response is to be with the people who I care about because I needed support. So, that’s why I’m here.”

Kerrigan hoped the families would find the courage and the strength to take the next steps.

The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe added that Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, and Jin Han, the mother of Jinna, and Molly Lane, the mother of Spencer, had been identified as the other victims. He announced it in a statement earlier in the day.

“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe said in a statement posted to social media. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six of seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.

Emergency response units respond to the crash site of an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter on the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, January 30, 2025. The commercial flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter last night. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital.)

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“These athletes, coaches, parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp.”

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
Skating broadcasters Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir emotional discussing ‘unimaginable’ loss from plane crash

Members of the figure skating community are presumed to have been killed in the plane crash near Reagan International Airport late Wednesday night.

The crash came hours ahead of the European Figure Skating Championships, which honored the victims in a moment of silence before skaters took the ice.

The legendary broadcast duo of Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir were on the call, and before the skating occurred, they both offered emotional tributes.

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Emergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. An American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“As we come on the air for the European Figure Skating Championships, we are all hurting today. We were absolutely heartbroken at the news that several members of our skating community were among those lost in the tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C., last night,” Weir began.

Weir then read off portions of sentimental statements from U.S. Figure Skating and the International Skating Union.

After a moment of silence, presumably to hold back tears, Lipinski offered her condolences.

“It is unimaginable loss. My heart is completely broken for our skating community, their families and loved ones. My heart is with all of the families affected, and that’s the part I have no words for. It will not do it justice. It is so widespread throughout our skating community. We are such a close-knit family, and I know our skating community will never be the same. But we will always remember them,” Lipinski said.

Weir added, “Our job is to make sure that everyone’s spirit lives on. It’s a tremendous loss that our community feels, and the sorrow that we feel for our tightknit community and the pain that we feel for our friends and colleagues is unimaginable today. My whole heart is with everybody affected by this terrible tragedy – we are so devastated for your loss.”

Figure skating champions Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski comment for NBC about the Figure Skating Men’s Free Skating on day seven of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace on February 14, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (John Berry/Getty Images)

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 American Airlines flight and three soldiers aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

Law enforcement continue their investigation into the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River as it was attempting to land at Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

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

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 30, 2025
Plane crash in DC: what to know about the aircraft involved

Aviation attorney and former pilot Arthur Rosenberg discusses the aftermath of the American Airlines and Black Hawk helicopter aircraft collision in Washington, D.C. on ‘The Big Money Show.’

A deadly midair collision involving an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter took place near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.

The aircraft that collided in the tragic incident were a Bombardier CRJ700 jet operated as American Eagle Flight 5342 by PSA Airlines and a U.S. Army Sikorky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane coming into Reagan National Airport crashed near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via / Getty Images)

A total of 67 people were in the two aircraft, with 64 flying on the regional jet and three service members manning the helicopter.

EXPERT PUTS ONUS ON FAA FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES, HELICOPTER CRASH: ‘BAD MANAGEMENT’ IS ‘PUTTING US AT RISK’

Bombardier CRJ700

A Bombardier CRJ700 of American Airlines approaches the runway to land on Nov. 13, 2019, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Bombardier first created CRJ700 jets over two decades ago.

Its CRJ700 program was purchased by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries several years ago. The aircraft is no longer made.

CRJ700s operated by PSA Airlines have First, Main Cabin Extra and Main cabin classes, according to an August 2024 screen capture of the airline’s website from the Wayback Machine. They have capacity for 65 passengers.

PSA AIRLINES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE CARRIER INVOLVED IN THE DC MIDAIR COLLISION

The airline, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines, has used the aircraft type since 2002. It counted 61 CRJ700s among its 141-plane fleet as of August 2024, PSA Airlines’ website showed.

They are over 100 feet long, according to the airline. The twin-engine aircraft can fly as fast as 544 mph, according to Simple Flying.

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter

A U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flies along the coast on Nov. 8, 2024, in Laguna Beach, California. (Kevin Carter / Getty Images)

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter belonged to the Army. The Army said it was “from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Va.,” Fox News Digital reported.

That type of helicopter has four blades and a twin-engine design. They boast a maximum gross weight of 22,000 pounds, Lockheed Martin said on its website.

Sikorsky has produced Black Hawk helicopters since the ’70s.

Lockheed Martin, which is based out of Maryland, became the owner of Sikorksy through a multibillion-dollar deal in 2015.

The top of the helicopter downed in Wednesday’s midair collision was painted gold, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a Department of Defense official.

Investigation into midair collision

The FAA, National Transportation Safety Board and the Army are investigating the midair collision, with the NTSB taking point, according to a statement from the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region/U.S. Army Military District of Washington.

Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River on Jan. 30, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

UNITED, DELTA ISSUE TRAVEL WAIVERS FOLLOWING AMERICAN AIRLINES MIDAIR COLLISION NEAR DC

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, the NTSB had said in an X post that it had “launched a go-team to the aviation accident” for the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 and Sikorsky H-60 helicopter.

January 30, 2025
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 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.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
American Airlines plane crash: Kansas lawmakers vow to find answers

Kansas’ entire congressional delegation is vowing to find answers for the families grieving loved ones after the deadly crash of a flight from Wichita to Washington D.C., which officials have said left no survivors.

A Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines PSA commercial jet that was moments from landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday night, temporarily halting all flights in and out of the small but critically located airport.

“Our prayers are with the families and friends of those affected by the tragic plane crash that occurred in our nation’s capital. South Central Kansas is a close community, and it’s likely that many of us directly or indirectly know people who were on Flight 5342 on Jan. 29,” the lawmakers’ joint written statement said.

VIDEO SHOWS DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER

Rep. Ron Estes, left, and Sen. Roger Marshall, right, were part of Kansas’ congressional delegation statement on the tragic American Airlines PSA collision. (Getty Images)

“This is a sad day for Kansans and our nation, and this community, steeped in aviation and manufacturing history, will feel the pain of this catastrophe for years to come. We are grateful for the first responders and rescue crews who worked through the night.

“Our focus now is supporting the family and friends of those who perished, including the crew and military personnel, and then getting answers for the grieving individuals who have lost a loved one and making sure this doesn’t happen again.”

It was signed by GOP Kansas senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, as well as Republican House representatives Ron Estes, Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and the delegation’s lone Democrat, Sharice Davids.

Estes represents much of Wichita, where the flight originated.

Moran said in a press conference shortly after midnight Thursday he was familiar with the flight route, having lobbied American Airlines for it to begin last year.

President Donald Trump briefed reporters on the crisis earlier Thursday, saying there were no survivors from the crash.

President Donald Trump briefed the media on the crash. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

Members of Trump’s new Cabinet, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, both promised to find swift answers for the families grieving loved ones after the crash.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who represents Arlington County, where the airport is located, similarly said he would work toward accountability.

“As the local representative, I want the families to know that our office is available to serve you in any way that we possibly can in this time of grief and transition and loss,” Beyer said at another press conference Thursday morning.

AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

“And then, also, I’d just note that we are deeply grateful for the people who risked their lives last night on a moment’s notice and spent the whole night on the river in the ice and the wind, serving us.”

Beyer added that, through the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) probe into the crash, “we’ve got to make sure that, at the federal level and with the support of Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., we’re doing everything we can to make sure that this does not happen again.”

Six white roses and photographs of victims are displayed at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)

American Airlines has said 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, and the airline encouraged any loved ones looking for information to call the numbers on its site.

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U.S. officials are investigating why the Black Hawk helicopter flew into the path of the descending plane, Duffy told reporters.

“I would say the helicopter was aware there was a plane in the area,” he said.

Hegseth said the helicopter was manned by an experienced crew and was undergoing an “annual proficiency training flight.”

Duffy told reporters that while the collision was a highly unusual and tragic event, the two aircraft’s mutual patterns were not atypical.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

January 30, 2025