31 January 2025 , 06:52
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A beloved Disney on Ice performer and a mother of two young children were among the 64 passengers killed on board the American Airlines flight 5432 when it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, DC. Wednesday night.
A cherished Disney on Ice performer and a mother of two were among the victims of the fatal plane crash near Washington, DC on Wednesday night. An American Airlines jet carrying 64 passengers collided with a U.S. Army helicopter over the icy Potomac River.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the mid-air collision happened at around 9pm local time when American Airlines flight 5342 had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter while on approach at Ronald Regan National Airport near Washington.
Officials confirmed the helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60 that had taken off from Fort Belvoir in Virginia, was on a training flight, and the plane was en route from Wichita, Kansas, and was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport when the tragic incident occurred. The collision resulted in the death of everyone aboard both aircraft.
It is believed that the Black Hawk helicopter inadvertently flew into the path of the jet. So far, at least 30 bodies have been recovered from the freezing river. Among the deceased were several US and Russian figure skaters, as well as four members of the flight crew. One of the victims was Inna Volyanskaya, a 59 year old former Soviet figure skater and Disney on Ice performer, reports the Express US.
Virginia Representative Suhas Subramanyam confirmed her death, stating: "It’s confirmed that none of the 67 people in last night’s crash survived, including members of our community like Inna Volyanskaya, an ice skating coach in Ashburn,"
Volyanskaya was renowned for her roles as Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel in Disney on Ice. Her ex-husband, Ross Lansel, spoke about her legacy, saying: "She was one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen, honestly. She was one of the best pair girls to skate."
He expressed that her loss is a devastating blow to the young skaters she coached in Virginia, adding: "Just knowing the impact she made on all the skaters and everyone just hurts my soul, I wish all those kids she taught-just my condolences and all my prayers go out to them."
U.S. Figure Skating, the body representing figure skaters, confirmed that a number of skaters, coaches, and family members were on board. They had been on their way back from the National Development Camp, which took place concurrently with the national championships.
The loved ones of several of the people killed in the tragic incident have come forward ot pay tribute. Sam Lilley, 28, was one of the two pilots aboard American Airlines flight 5342. His dad Timothy Lilley spoke to FOX 5 Atlanta to confirm his son had died, and said: "This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life".
Ryan O’Hara, from Georgia, was on board the Black Hawk military helicopter. He leaves behind a wife and a one-year-old son. It is currently unclear what caused the fatal crash but officials have said the military helicopter was conducting a training exercise when the crash took place.
A top Army aviation official said the Black Hawk crew was "very experienced" and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around Washington. Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation said: "Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them. Even the crew chief in the back has been in the unit for a very long time, very familiar with the area, very familiar with the routing structure."
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump bizarrely suggested "diversity hires" in air traffic control could be the cause of the crash. The president alleged, without evidence, that "people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities" had been recruited to the Federal Aviation Administration to manage air traffic. He said: "I do want to point out that various articles that appeared prior to my entering office. And here’s one, the FAA’s diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing.
"And then it says FAA says people with severe disabilities are most underrepresented segment of the workforce said ’they want them in, and they want them, they can be air traffic controllers’ - I don’t think so. This was January 14, so that was a week before I entered office. They put a big push to put diversity into the FAA’s programme."