Following the tragic American Airlines Flight 5342 collision on Wednesday evening, a figure skater has spoken out clarifying a circulating story that he was supposed to be on the doomed plane.
Just prior to 9:00PM last night, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a military helicopter mid-air – with both aircraft plunging into Washington, D.C.’s Potomac River.
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Officials have confirmed that all 60 passengers and four crew members are believed to have perished in the disaster. Additionally, the three soldiers aboard the US Army Black Hawk helicopter are also believed to have died.
As emergency authorities now switch to a “recovery effort”, more details are emerging regarding the victims of this tragedy.
The victims included several members of the US figure skating community who had been in Wichita for the US Figure Skating Championships and the associated National Development Camp.
In a statement, US Figure Skating confirmed: “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.”
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the organization added.
Among the passengers were legendary Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, the 1994 world champions in pairs figure skating.
Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston, revealed that six victims were affiliated with their organization, including two young skaters, their coaches, and their mothers.
The Massachusetts-based skaters were identified as Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, along with their mothers, Molly Lane and Jin Han.
“It’s a major loss for our skating community,” Zeghibe said.
Viral Figure Skater Speaks Out
Following the tragedy, several news outlets have reported that figure skater Jon Maravilla survived the disaster after he was informed at the airport gate that his dog could not be carried on due to its size. As a result, he missed the flight and opted to travel by car – thus, saving his life.
However, this is untrue, and the figure skater has now spoken out about what really happened.
Speaking to the Daily Beast, Maravilla has confirmed that he was scheduled to take a different flight with his pet dog – a Bichon Frisé called Yuki.
Maravilla informed the outlet that he was due to catch a Delta flight to Atlanta before transferring to Detroit. This was the flight he was turned away from – not American Airlines 5342.
As such, the young figure skater admits he has been left confused about how the false reports originated.
Regardless, Maravilla says he is in disbelief over the tragedy, which saw him lose many close friends.
“I was just with them watching them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time,” he told the outlet.
In response to the tragedy, American Airlines has launched a special helpline (1-800-679-8215) for families seeking information about loved ones aboard Flight 5342.
“We owe everyone involved accurate and timely information,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom assured. “Our team of highly trained professionals will be working around the clock to support our passengers, crew, and their families, however we can.”
With so many questions still unanswered, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an in-depth investigation into the collision. American Airlines has pledged full cooperation, while aviation experts analyze whether human error, communication failures, or equipment malfunctions played a role in the catastrophe.
Our thoughts go out to every person impacted by this tragedy and we wish the emergency services the best with their ongoing efforts.
