Figure skating sisters and famed couple among victims identified in plane and helicopter crash
Figure skating young sisters and a famed couple in the sport have been identified among 67 killed in the American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter crash in Washington, DC.
More than 30 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River after the Thursday night mid-air crash, including multiple figure skaters of all ages, accolades and fame, and American Airlines Flight 5342 crew.
The recovery operation continued on Thursday to find the remaining bodies. Here are the victims who have been identified so far:
Everly and Alydia Livingston
Washington Figure Skating Club members and sisters Everly, 14, and Alydia Livingston, 11, died in the crash, according to the Skating Club of Boston.
Just days before the crash, the American sisters participated in the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, where the doomed American Eagle flight operated by American Airlines departed from.
In their last social media post, they wrote: ‘If you look closely at Alydia’s badge. We were born ready for this but is ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?’
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov
Famous Russian skating couple Evgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, also lost their lives as the aircrafts fell into the river.
The married couple also attended the US Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.
Their deaths were confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
‘Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed,’ said Peskov.
‘There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash.’
Inna Volyanskaya
Another famed figure skater, Inna Volyanskaya, 59, was identified by Virginia Rep Suhas Subramanyam.
Volyanskaya performed on Disney on Ice as Ariel, Princess Aurora, Cinderalla and belle, and competed for the Soviet Union, her biography states.
She was also serving as an ice skating coach in Ashburn.
‘She was one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen, honestly. She was one of the best pair girls to skate,’ her ex-husband Ross Lansel told News4.
‘Just knowing the impact she made to all the skaters and everyone just hurts my soul, and just I wish all those kids that she taught, just my condolences, and I wish them — all my prayers go out to them.’
Spencer and Christine Lane
Spencer, 16, and his mother Christine Lane attended the National Development Camp which was held along with the ice skating championships.
They were confirmed fead by The Skating Club of Boston.
Spencer had last uploaded a photo on social media around 7pm on Wednesday showing the passenger jet taxiing at Wichita Airport and captioned it ‘ICT -> DCA’, referring to Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Full list of identified victims in American Airlines and Black Hawk crash
Everly and Alydia Livingston (figure skaters)
Evgenia Shishkova (figure skater)
Vadim Naumov (figure skater)
Spencer and Christine Lane (skater and mother)
Samuel Lilley (first officer)
Jonathan Campos (captain)
Ian Epstein – (flight attendant)
Danasia Elder (flight attendant)
Ryan O’Hara (Black Hawk crew)
Asra Hussain
Inna Volyanskaya
Jinna and Jin Han
Michael Stovall
Jesse Pitcher
Wendy Shaffer
Sean Kay
Angela Yang
Alexandr Kisanov
Grace Maxwell
Samuel Lilley
One of two pilots who were killed has been identified First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28.
Lilley’s father Timothy Lilley, a pilot himself, said he was in New York for work when he found out his son was in the doomed cockpit.
‘This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life,’ he told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Timothy said he first could not believe the flight was his son’s, but that Sam did not check in as he normally did.
‘I was a helicopter pilot in the Army for 20 years. In the ’90s, I used to fly in and out of the Pentagon regularly, and I can tell you if you are flying on the route over the Potomac and wearing night vision goggles, it’s going to be very hard to see that plane,’ said Timothy.
‘If you’re not wearing the goggles, then you might have a chance.’
Jonathan Campos
Another pilot has been identified as Captain Jonathan Campos, 34.
Campos’ uncle, Hector Campos, told the Daily Mail he confirmed the news of the death and ‘we are in complete shock’.
‘He loved it,’ Hector said of Jonathan and his career in aviation.
Ian Epstein
One of two flight attendants on the plane operated by American Airlines has been identified as Ian Epstein, 52.
Epstein was based out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.
‘It is with a very heavy heart and extreme sadness that myself along with our children Hannah Epstein and Joanna Epstein and his sister Robbie Epstein Bloom her husband Steven Bloom and nieces Andi and Dani inform you that Ian Epstein was one of the flight attendants on American Airlines Flight 5342 that collided last night when they were landing in DC,’ wrote his wife Debi Epstein, 58, on Facebook.
‘Please pray for Ian and our family as we travel to DC. We will update when plans are made.’
Danasia Elder
Another flight attendant has been named as Danasia Elder.
‘RIP Danasia Brown,’ one of her friends wrote on Facebook, referencing her married surname.
‘Never thought I would see those letters beside ya name.’
The bodies of all three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk helicopter have been recovered and sent to Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Ryan O’Hara of Georgia was one of the crew members who has been identified. The other two have not been named.
Several of the victims were former students of Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.