The United States sat in shock and sadness as the American Airlines plane 5342 collided mid air into the Black Hawk helicopter at roughly 9 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. 

According to an NBC Washington report, the plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas to Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia. 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, and three aviators were in the army helicopter. The aircrafts crashed into the Potomac River, and no survivors were found. The cause of the collision is still unknown, but officials are expressing concerns about the crowd at DCA and a deficit of air traffic control.

CBS News reported that many of the 60 passengers were competitive ice skaters attending the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the National Development Camp. Seven of them were part of the skating community, including skaters, parents, and a coach in Loudoun County. A memorial of stuffed animals and flowers stands in the lobby of the Ashburn Ice House for them. Their love and talent of skating will be remembered in the hearts of many Loudoun County civilians. 

Inna Volyanskaya, an ice skating coach at Ashburn Ice House and a former Soviet Union national team skater, was among the victims. “She impacted the lives of many skaters and her influence on them will carry on,” an article by U.S Figure Skating states. She was favored by many skaters, and her talents will be remembered.