Russian world champion couple aboard American Airlines plane that crashed with Black Hawk helicopter

Russian ice skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were among the passengers on the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River in Washington on Wednesday night, according to Russian state media reports.  

Shishkova and Naumov, a married couple, won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994. They had reportedly been living in the United States since at least 1998, where they trained young figure skaters.  

Their son, Maxim, who competed for the United States in singles figure skating, was also feared to have been on the flight, according to reports from Russia’s TASS and RIA news agencies.  

He had recently participated in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which took place from January 20-26, as stated on the event’s website.  

The couple were said to be returning from the competition and were reportedly traveling with a group of young skaters.  

Russia’s Mash news outlet released a list of 13 skaters, many of whom were children of Russian emigrants to the United States, who were believed to be aboard the flight.  

TASS also reported that Inna Volyanskaya, a former skater who once competed for the Soviet Union, was among the passengers.  

She was listed as a coach at the Washington Figure Skating Club, as indicated on the club’s website.

Officials stated that an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air before crashing into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.