“One skater survived after being denied boarding due to the size of their dog.”

On the 29th at 8:53 PM (local time), a small passenger plane crashed near Washington, D.C., while attempting to land after colliding with a military helicopter. It has been confirmed that the plane was carrying former and current figure skaters returning from a competition in the U.S.

Tragically, Korean-American figure skater Gina Han (16) and her mother, Jin Han, were among the passengers.

According to Reuters, Russian state media, The New York Times (NYT), and The Washington Post (WP), the plane was carrying approximately 20 figure skaters and coaches, accounting for about one-third of the total passengers (64 including crew).

Figure skater John Marabiya told Russian news agency RIA Novosti, “Excluding parents and coaches, about 14 skaters were on the plane.”

The plane had departed from Wichita, Kansas, where the U.S. Figure Skating Championships had taken place from January 20 to 26.

Korean Figure Skater Gina Han Confirmed Onboard
Korean-American figure skating prospect Gina Han (16) was confirmed to have been on the plane that crashed near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. Gina, a member of the Skating Club of Boston in Massachusetts, was returning home after participating in a national development camp linked to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

The accident occurred when an American Airlines passenger plane collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport. Tragically, there were no survivors from either aircraft.

Gina’s mother, Jin Han, was also onboard, along with fellow Skating Club of Boston member Spencer Lane, his mother Christine Lane, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

U.S. Figure Skating expressed deep condolences and offered support to the families of the victims.

The figure skating community has been left in shock, with many mourning the sudden loss of such a promising young talent.

Former World Champions Among Victims
The plane was also carrying 1994 World Figure Skating Champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov from Russia. Russian state media reported that their son, Maxim Naumov, was also onboard.

Maxim had competed in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita from January 20 to 26, and his parents were returning home after watching his performance.

Alex Shoffler, a spokesperson for U.S. Figure Skating, said, “We are deeply shocked by this unspeakable tragedy.”

The Skating Club of Boston confirmed that Shishkova and Naumov were coaches at the club, according to WP.

The crashed plane, which collided with a military helicopter and fell into the Potomac River, was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members. All are presumed to have died.

Survivor Due to Dog Size
John Marabiya, who was originally scheduled to board the flight, was denied boarding due to the size of his dog exceeding restrictions. He traveled by car instead, which allowed him to avoid the accident, as reported by internet media outlets like Daily Beast.

[Provided by Radio Seoul]