What We Know So Far About Midair Crash Victims

The U.S. Coast Guard investigates aircraft wreckage after a midair collision over the Potomac River near Washington, on Jan. 30, 2025. Brandon Giles/ U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images

Military personnel, figure skaters, and plumbers were among the 67 people who died in the midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter on Jan. 29.

Officials announced their shift from a rescue to a body recovery effort within hours of the crash and said there were no survivors.

American Airlines flight 5342, direct from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.

American Airlines has not yet released the names of the victims, due to a delay in contacting family members, however, some groups have notified the public of individuals known to have been on board.

While the Army hasn’t yet made public the names of the individuals on the helicopter, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth identified the ranks of the three soldiers.

He referenced “a young captain,” along with a staff sergeant, and a chief warrant officer.

The soldiers were on board a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter at the time of the crash and were from the 12th Aviation Battalion out of Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The Black Hawk was reportedly taking part in a routine training exercise.

14 From Figure Skating Community

The American Airlines flight carried 14 members of the figure skating community. They had been in Wichita, Kansas, for the U.S. national championships.

Two teenage figure skaters, as well as their mothers, were among the passengers.

Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane have been confirmed dead, according to Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe.

Additionally, pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia were killed in the crash.

Shishkova and Naumov, a married couple, won a world championship title together in 1994 and came close to medaling at the Olympics the same year.

After their title success, they moved to the United States and began coaching young skaters. They also have a son, Maxim, who was not on the same flight.

The other skating community victims’ names have not yet been released.

4 Steamfitters Union Members

The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada announced four of its members were among the deceased following the crash.

“We are heartbroken to confirm that four members of UA Steamfitters Local 602 were among the victims of the American Airlines Flight 5342 crash yesterday,” the union said in a Jan. 30 statement on social media platform X.

The group said that their focus is now “on providing support and care to the families of the brothers as we continue to gather more information in the coming days.”

2 Chinese Nationals

The Chinese Embassy announced the day after the crash that two Chinese nationals were among those believed to have been killed in the American Airlines collision.

In Virginia, the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) said in a Jan. 30 statement that some of the victims were former students of their district.

Superintendent Aaron Spence said in his statement: “This unimaginable loss has deeply affected our community, and with great sorrow, we have learned that multiple victims were former LCPS students.”

A Pilot On Board

Timothy Lilley identified his son, 28-year-old Sam Lilley, as one of the two pilots killed in the collision.

The older Lilley, himself a former Army helicopter pilot, voiced his grief in an interview with FOX 5 Atlanta. He also stated that he believes the commercial plane piloted by his son followed procedure.

American Airlines is expected to release the full flight manifest sometime on Jan. 31.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.