A beloved Disney on Ice performer and a mother of two were tragically killed in a plane crash near Washington, DC on Wednesday night. The fatal incident involved an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members colliding with a US Army helicopter over the frosty Potomac River.
The Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the mid-air collision occurred around 9pm local time. American Airlines flight 5342 had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, and was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport when it collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter.
Officials confirmed that the helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60 from Fort Belvoir in Virginia, was on a training flight at the time of the accident. The devastating collision resulted in the loss of all lives on board both aircraft. Recovery efforts have so far retrieved at least 30 bodies from the icy river.
Among the victims were several US and Russian figure skaters, four members of the flight crew, and Inna Volyanskaya, a 59 year old former Soviet figure skater and Disney on Ice performer, according to Express US reports, reports Express US.
Virginia Representative Suhas Subramanyam confirmed the tragic news, 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 celebrated for her performances as Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel in Disney on Ice. Her former husband, Ross Lansel, paid tribute to her talent, saying: “She was one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen, honestly. She was one of the best pair girls to skate.”
Lansel expressed his sorrow over the loss, particularly for 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 governing body for the sport, confirmed that several skaters, coaches, and family members were among the victims. They had been returning from the National Development Camp, which ran alongside the national championships.
Family members of several victims have come forward to pay their respects. Sam Lilley, 28, one of the two pilots on American Airlines flight 5342, was confirmed dead by his father Timothy Lilley, who told FOX 5 Atlanta: “This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life”.
Georgia native Ryan O’Hara was tragically involved in a Black Hawk military helicopter crash, leaving behind his spouse and their one year old child. The reasons behind the devastating incident are not yet clear; however, officials have indicated that the aircraft was undertaking a training mission at the time of the catastrophe.
A leading Army aviation authority attested to the significant experience of the Black Hawk crew, particularly with reference to the intricate flying environment frequently encountered in the vicinity of Washington. Jonathan Koziol, the Army aviation chief of staff, remarked: “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.”
U.S. President Donald Trump put forth the controversial theory that “diversity hires” in air traffic control might have played a role in the unfortunate event. Trump, lacking concrete proof, suggested that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hired “people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities” to oversee air traffic, and elaborated on pre-presidency reports, stating: “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.”
