American Airlines plane crash first victims named as world champion skaters

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Two of the passengers on board the American Airlines flight which collided with a military helicopter in mid-air over Washington DC were world champion figure skaters, it has been revealed.The first victims have been named as Russian skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, after Russian news agency TASS reported that the pair - a married couple - had been on the plane.The flight from Wichita, Kansas, was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to land when it struck the US Army Black Hawk helicopter and plummeted into the Potomac River.60 passengers and four crew members were on board at the time, with a major rescue operation underway involving around 300 emergency responders.

CBS News reports that 18 bodies have been recovered from the water so far. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. 1994 pairs skating world champions Shishkova and Naumov were not the only skaters on the flight.

US Figure Skating has confirmed several of its athletes were also on board. A statement from the sport's governing body said: "These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."Another passenger, the wife of Hamaad Raza was returning from a work trip on the flight.