A devastating mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane in Washington DC has claimed the lives of all 67 individuals on board. Among the victims are rising figure skaters, their coaches, a young civil rights lawyer, a soon-to-be-married pilot, and students returning from a national event.
All 67 victims of the disastrous mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane in Washington DC are believed to be dead. The aircraft erupted in a huge fireball and plunged into the Potomac River after it collided with a military helicopter just before 9pm.
The victims of the crash included teenage figure skaters returning from a national meet up with their mothers and coaches, a university student returning from her grandfather's funeral and a pilot that was due to be married. They were among 60 passengers and four crew members on board the commercial flight when it collided with the military helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers. As the search for remains continued on Thursday, communities grieved and faith leaders held a vigil in the city council chambers. American Airlines set up a hotline as well as centres in Washington and Wichita for people searching for information about their family members who were on the flight.Here's what we know about some of the people killed in the crash. Teen figure skaters and world champion coaches Six members of the Skating Club of Boston, including two teenagers, their mothers, and two coaches, died in the crash. Doug Zeghibe, chief executive of the club, struggled through his tears when he confirmed their deaths. Skaters Jinna Han, 13, and Spencer Lane, 16, were rising stars in figure skating, returning from the US Figure Skating Championships. 'We watched Jinna just grow up here from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13-year-old,' Zeghibe said. 'A great performer, a great competitor, and off the ice, a great kid.' Spencer, who was from Barrington, Rhode Island, took part in his first professional show in December. “Spencer, in the best way possible, was a crazy kid,” Zeghibe said. “Highly talented, has not been skating that long and has been rocketing to the top of the sport. Very fun, very cerebral.' Their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, were “dedicated” and always “made sacrifices,” Zeghibe said. Their coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships in Chiba, Japan. The Russia-born pair also competed twice in the Olympics. Skating organisations in Philadelphia and the Washington area also said some of their young athletes had been aboard the plane. Several athletes on the flight had attended a development camp held after the US Figure Skating Championships ended on Sunday in Wichita, Kansas. An Olympic champion figure skater who spent time with several of the victims at the camp said his “heart was shattered” over the deaths of promising skaters and coaches in Wednesday’s collision. Scott Hamilton, 66, who won gold at the 1984 Winter games, told NBC: “I can’t wrap my head around the last 36 hours … the loss is just beyond description.'Pilot soon to be marriedThe pilot of the American Airlines flight Sam Lilley, 28, was killed in the crash. Sam was soon to be married, his father Timothy Lilley told Fox 5 Atlanta. His father said he feared the worst when his son didn't get in touch after the flight as he usually did.“This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life,” Lilley told Fox 5. Thomas Lilley was an Army helicopter pilot for 20 years, and has flown a similar route over the river, he told Fox 5.“I think the PSA jet was doing everything right,” he said. “The Army pilot made a grave error. It hurts me because those are my brothers, and now my son is dead.” Young civil rights lawyer Kiah Duggins, a young civil rights lawyer, was among those who died in the crash. She was on her way home from Kansas, and worked for the Civil Rights Corps, a 'non-profit organization dedicated to challenging systemic injustice in the United States' legal system'. Friends described her as “a brave and beautiful soul, a light in the fight for civil rights.” Duggins, 30, was in Wichita to be with her mother after a surgical procedure, according to KMUW. Her father, Maurice Duggins, said in a statement: “We are coming to terms with the grief associated with the loss of our beautiful and accomplished firstborn. Please respect our family’s privacy at this time.” Captain of American Airlines flight Jonathan Campos was the captain of the American Airlines flight, piloting the plane alongside Sam Lilley. Campos, 34, had dreamt of being a pilot since he was only 13 years old, his aunt told the New York Times.'I think he wanted to be free, and be able to fly and soar like a bird,' Beverly Lane said. Lane said she talked to Campos just before the flight, and he told her he was excited for a Caribbean cruise he was meant to go on with family. Students and their parents Cedarville University in Ohio said one of the passengers on the plane was Grace Maxwell, 20, who was studying mechanical engineerin
Accidents Mid-Air Collision Figure Skaters Pilot Civil Rights Lawyer Students Tragedy Washington DC
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