Officials believe that all 67 people aboard an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter were killed when the two aircraft collided in midair approaching Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.
As of reporting, at least 55 bodies — including those of three soldiers who were aboard the helicopter — have been pulled from the Potomac River amid an ongoing recovery effort and identified, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly said at a Feb. 2 press briefing. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the crash.
“It’s my belief that we’re going to recover everyone,” Donnelly said.
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Twenty-eight of the plane’s passengers were connected to the figure skating community, including performers, their parents and coaches, according to a statement from U.S. Figure Skating. They had been returning from a development camp and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
Officials have still not released a list of the identified victims, but families and friends have confirmed some of the passengers in media interviews and social media posts.
Among those in the skating community were Roger Haynos, his wife, Stephanie, and their son Cory. Grace Maxwell, an engineering student from Cedarville University in Ohio, has also been identified as one of…
