Tragedy in Wichita, KS and D.C.

 

If you live in the states, I'm sure you have read about or seen images of the plane crash that took the lives of all on board American Airlines Flight 5342 which collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C..

U.S. Figure Skating said athletes, coaches, and family members were returning from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas (USA).  The flight carried 60 passengers and four crew members.

I understand the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships had been held  from Jan. 20 until Jan. 26, and had been televised.  I could have gotten a ticket to watch these athletes for $15.00 a day.  

According to The Wichita Eagle (our newspaper):

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships have concluded at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, after some of the nation’s most elite took the ice in hopes of winning gold — and a spot in the World Championships. The competition made its Wichita debut and ended Sunday, Jan. 26. Among the athletes competing in Wichita are former (and hopefully future) Olympians, many of whom are also defending national champions.

However some of the young athletes stayed in the city through Jan. 28 for the advanced training program.  This is the group who were on Flight 5342.  According to NPR:

The 2025 Prevagen Figure Skating Championships — a final qualifier for the U.S. World and Junior Championship teams — ran from Jan. 20-26 in Wichita, Kan. It was immediately followed by the National Development Camp, which U.S. Figure Skating describes as a three-day educational program for top-performing youth athletes that aims to "accelerate their exposure to High Performance Programs and Team USA."

 

  The trials were held at INTRUST Bank Arena.

My heart goes out to those who lost their lives in this tragedy.