Skaters and coaches among victims in DC plane crash

[CoyoteChris]

As the news links indicate, there was and has been an air traffic control staffing shortage for awhile for a number of reasons, including political. As well, unfortunately, as @CoyoteChris already pointed out, more traffic into the airport in question was lobbied for and approved for the convenience of government officials.

Read the second linked news story about Trump firing heads of the Transportation Security Admin. and the Coast Guard, along with eliminating members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee on his first day in office, January 21.

Here's an additional, more detailed article raising concerns about these aviation security-related dismissals:

D.C. Plane Crash Raises Questions About Trump Aviation Personnel Changes

The plane crash at DCA raised questions about recent leadership changes within the federal agencies charged with regulating air travel.

time.com

The WSJ did three great stories today. An intelligent respectful piece on the skating folk, "Tragedy Crushes Elite World of Skating" (dont know who thought elite was a good word choice but maybe not the authors Louise Radnofsky, Allison Pohle and Jennifer Levitz) an article on "Washington's Jam-Packed Airspace has prompted warnings for years" and "Political Jostling Fueled More congestion at Regan"
I am personally shocked that Congress controls how many flights go into and out of Regan AND WHERE THEY GO. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[skylark]

Please forgive my silence for this long, which was due to family events and also to shock at this tragedy. May all the victims rest in peace. May all their loved ones and friends feel the love pouring their way, and may they take comfort and eventual joy in the knowledge of how much these skaters, coaches, and parents of skaters contributed to the beauty and artistry and athletic excellence in the world.

 

[Violet Sky]

Jasmine Liu posted on her story the friends she can't get ahold of...

 

[moonvine]

The WSJ did three great stories today. An intelligent respectful piece on the skating folk, "Tragedy Crushes Elite World of Skating" (dont know who thought elite was a good word choice but maybe not the authors Louise Radnofsky, Allison Pohle and Jennifer Levitz) an article on "Washington's Jam-Packed Airspace has prompted warnings for years" and "Political Jostling Fueled More congestion at Regan"
I am personally shocked that Congress controls how many flights go into and out of Regan AND WHERE THEY GO. What could possibly go wrong?

I heard about that on my POTUS Sirius channel.

 

[Violet Sky]

https://youtu.be/5Oxmg5oW-VE?si=xP6StiYZM5y2vTJi (NBC news report on the tragedy of the plane crash and its impact on the US Figure skating world). This tragic and this comes so soon after the announcement of Mr Dick Button’s passing away. Both announcements have really impacted the tight community of figure skating….its heart breaking - stay safe everyone.

 

[Weathergal]

Not many video clips of Inna Volyanskaya's skating online. She posted this video of her skating with Tikhonov.



A Disney on Ice practice video where she skates with Alexei Kiliakov. Then there's a Ice Theatre All-Stars: Russian Fair but that video if weirdly disjoint to where it can be hard to tell who is skating.

I wasn't very familiar with Inna Volyanskaya and found out that she was a pairs skater with Valery Spiridonov and was married to him for a while. Valery later married Elena Garanina, an ice dancer, and US ice dancer Anton Spiridonov is their son.

Reading this just reminded me that figure skating is a small world indeed, which I can only imagine makes the losses of all these skaters, coaches, and families even harder. My heart breaks for all those - whether or not they're associated with figure skating - involved in this tragedy. I hope and pray for comfort and healing for their families and friends.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Franco Aparicio and his father

Thank you. I ammended my post.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Good. All I'm thinking about are dead people.

Me too. But us pilots always think about how can we save future victums.... I am happy they stopped the copter traffic.

 

[Ilia4A]

US Figure Skating has started a fund to support families of the victims. They posted it on their Instagram page. You can find it there, or here is the link

U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund

secure.qgiv.com

 

[Arigato]

Me too. But us pilots always think about how can we save future victums.... I am happy they stopped the copter traffic.

Pilot or not, anyone would be interested in the outcome of this:

Experts ask why Black Hawk helicopter may have been flying above allowed altitude before crash

This data point is one of several key mysteries investigators are exploring as they seek to explain what caused the nation's worst air disaster in more than a decade, aviation experts said.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Anna K.]

figure skating is a small world indeed, which I can only imagine makes the losses of all these skaters, coaches, and families even harder.

This

 

[Skater Boy]

Kudos to the kind hearts and souls trying to make sense off this and comfort and support those affected by this tragedy. It has been wonderrful and humanizing to hear who the victims were as real people and not just those in the skating community. The commmitmennt of the skaters. Their dreams. The love and dedicattion of the coaches. All their families and loved ones they left behind. We realize the loss of such an icon in Dick button but I do not think we grasp or really understand the accomplishments and contributtions of Shishkova and Naumov. Constantly overshadowed by Gordeeva and Grinkov; Artur and his two partners and Anton and Elena they were and are wonderful skaterrs who won many titles and medals as well as a world title. They leave behind a son Max who i believe has won a World Junior titlle and won three pewter medals at nationals in a row. They came to the US to make a homoe and raise their son. They have been part of the American skating commmmunity raising up champion skaters. Poor Max the loss of his coaces and parents. I understand his reasons for withdrawing 4CC's I wish in my dream world he would compete and do really well spurred on by his parents but one can only try to understand the pain and grief he is going thrrough. It is naturally to specullate what happened especially with so much "evidence" out there but whatever happened this was a tragedy. I remind people while these were not the worlld stars off 1961 other than perhaps Shishkova and Naumov but these are real people with real dreams. In some ways I am glad the Livingstons's for example are in Heaven together To be left behind is heartbreaking no matter how old. So much grieving and dealing with losses. World's will be in Boston where ironicallly severral skaters trained and where Evgenia and Vadim coached.. RIP skating friends and comfort to those they leave behind.

 

[zebobes]

The NY Times has been writing beautiful pieces in memory of the families.

My heart goes out to Mr. Strid, I can’t imagine the shock of losing three of his students all in one go.

A Boy, His Parents and a Sudden Void in Fairfax (Published 2025)

Kaiyan Mao and Yu Zhou “were always there” as their son pursued his figure skating dreams. On Wednesday, the family flew together from Wichita to Washington.

www.nytimes.com

 

[labgoat]

The NY Times has been writing beautiful pieces in memory of the families.

My heart goes out to Mr. Strid, I can’t imagine the shock of losing three of his students all in one go.

A Boy, His Parents and a Sudden Void in Fairfax (Published 2025)

Kaiyan Mao and Yu Zhou “were always there” as their son pursued his figure skating dreams. On Wednesday, the family flew together from Wichita to Washington.

www.nytimes.com

Such lovely people that we lost. So sorry for Mr. Strid - I hope that he takes time to get some help dealing with this tragedy and to find his way back to the rink.

 

[fenway3]

I just heard the news about the skaters and coaches dying in the plane crash and also about Dick Button passing away. I'm still in shock.

Does anyone know if Button actually heard the news about the crash before he passed away?

 

[Mathman]

The WSJ did three great stories today. An intelligent respectful piece on the skating folk, "Tragedy Crushes Elite World of Skating" (dont know who thought elite was a good word choice but maybe not the authors Louise Radnofsky, Allison Pohle and Jennifer Levitz)

My impression is that the editors whose job it is to write headlines often don't even read the articles that they attach click-bait to.

 

[el henry]

From the 2022 US Olympic team:

(I am assuming those are all real signatures, it is Jason's signature)

 

[hermine17]

There are no words. May all the victims rest in peace.

 

[CoyoteChris]

My impression is that the editors whose job it is to write headlines often don't even read the articles that they attach click-bait to.

sadly, I agree. Also, the hyperbole terms used on video network news headlines probably make Walter Cronkite spin in his grave.

 

[moonvine]

I haven’t cried this much in 10 years.