Young figure skater missed American Airlines crash flight because of dog

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An American figure skater narrowly avoided tragedy after being denied boarding on the ill-fated American Airlines Flight 5342 due to his dog’s size.Jon Maravilla was originally scheduled to be on the flight, which crashed Wednesday night following a midair collision with a Black Hawk helicopter.

The plane, traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, plunged into the Potomac River just before 9pm local time.Maravilla was forced to find alternative travel arrangements after airline staff at the gate refused to allow his dog onboard, citing its size, reports the US Mirror.

Speaking to Russian news outlet RIA Novosti, he explained he opted to drive instead. Frustration was evident in an Instagram post from the airport, where he wrote: “Not allowed past gate to board flight.

Get me tf out of Kansas, please.”Later, as he embarked on his unexpected road trip, he updated followers at 12:23am, posting, “14-hour journey begins.” While Maravilla’s change of plans spared his life, many of his peers were not as fortunate.According to the skater, at least 14 figure skaters, along with their coaches and family members, were onboard the doomed flight. “I don’t want to name names,” Maravilla said, calling the crash “such a tragedy.”The skaters had been in Wichita for the U.S.