U.S. Figure Skaters Were on Plane that Crashed in Washington, D.C.

U.S. figure skaters and coaches were among the passengers onboard a plane that crashed near Washington, D.C. late Wednesday night. The American Airlines plane, American Eagle Flight 5342, collided with an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River.

U.S. Figure Skating said the following in a statement, according to multiple news outlets.

"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.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts."

U.S. Figure Skating did not identify any of the members of its team that were onboard the flight.

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships were held in Wichita, Kan., from January 20-26. The figure skaters and coaches were returning from events held in conjunction with the championships.

Former Russian figure skaters and current coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, winners of the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships, were also believed to be aboard the plane, according to Russian media outlets.

Three soldiers were reportedly on board the helicopter, according to CBS News.

The plane, carrying about 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with the helicopter while attempting to land. Reagan National Airport has grounded all nearby flights. An overnight search-and-rescue operation of the Potomac River was pivoted to recovery operations, as officials believe all passengers and crew aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 were killed, according to The Washington Post.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as U.S. Figure Skaters Were on Plane that Crashed in Washington, D.C..