Determine Skaters and Political Figures React to DC Aircraft Crash: ‘It is Unimaginable’

On Wednesday night, an American Airways regional jet crashed into an Navy Black Hawk helicopter near the Ronald Raegan Washington Nationwide Airport (DCA). The American Eagle Flight 5342 — which was touring from Wichita, Kansas to DCA — was carrying 64 people on board, along with various US decide skaters, whereas the navy helicopter had three troopers on board.

As of this publishing, 27 our our bodies have been recovered from the fallen airplane and one from the chopper. Nonetheless, the DC Fireside and EMS Chief said officers “don’t think about there are survivors.”

The Worldwide Skating Union (ISU) issued an announcement, writing that it was “deeply shocked” and “heartbroken” by the accident. Within the meantime, US Decide Skating confirmed that “various members” of the group — along with athletes, coaches, and family members — misplaced their lives. Nonetheless, it didn’t launch the names of the victims.

Within the meantime, the Skating Membership of Boston confirmed the names of the six people of the membership and its group who’ve been on the flight. Teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers, Jin and Christine, respectively, along with their coaches — 1994 pairs world champions of Russia Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova — have been on board flight the American Eagle Flight 5342.

Whereas speaking at a press conference on the Skating Membership of Boston on Thursday, 1994 Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan — who’s an alum of the membership — broke down in tears as she reacted to the tragic accident.

Kerrigan well-known that the Boston decide skating group has “stood behind” her in the midst of the troublesome time in her career, and now it’s her “flip” to “be proper right here” for the group.

“I wish to have the flexibility to offer once more what I actually really feel like I obtained,” she said, sooner than responding to a question about how the group can come collectively even when the sport is “aggressive.”

“I really feel that there’s a camaraderie. We spend loads of time focused in your self or your group, must you’re a pair or dance,” she continued. “You might be throughout the chilly — not lots proper right here — nonetheless masses [of time] — hour after hour — so there’s is like this, you would not have to know all folks to actually really feel that connection and we have now been by means of the equivalent issue, that teaching, that rigorous schedule of falling many times and someway choosing your self once more up, which is like the first lesson I really feel realized in skating is you get once more up.”

“Stick with it attempting and even when it’s laborious, you get once more up,” Kerrigan added. “Even when you’re crying, harm, [in] ache, you get once more up, and switch forward.”

Within the meantime, former decide skater and Kerrigan’s infamous rival Tanya Harding — who merely joined X on Wednesday night — issued an announcement on the platform, writing, “The events that occurred remaining night in Washington, DC are utterly devastating. I’m being knowledgeable that various expert decide skaters have been aboard the flight as correctly. Sending my love and prayers to all the victims and their households.”

1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski mourned the losses in an announcement shared to her Instagram Tales. “My coronary coronary heart is broken for our skating group,” she wrote. “It’s unimaginable the loss. We’ll mourn their loss and ALWAYS take note them. My coronary coronary heart is with all the households affected — that half I’ve no phrases for.”

“‘Energy’ and ‘Love’ is not going to do it justice. So a number of our private have been on this tragic flight and my coronary coronary heart aches for them and for everyone part of this devastating accident,” she added.

Two-time Olympian Johnny Weir — and Lipinski’s shut buddy — moreover shared a publish on his Tales, writing, “I’m praying for everyone affected by this tragic accident. Members of our skating family have been on that flight returning dwelling from Nationals in Wichita. We mourn their loss and pray for his or her households and members of the family.”

Adam Rippon wrote, “Unbelieveable ,” on his Instagram Tales, whereas various decide skaters who’re presently on Workers USA shared that they’ve been on completely different flights from Wichita.

Christina Carrerira wrote on her Tales, “Good day all people, Anthony and I’ve been included in an inventory of presumed people onboard the American Airways flight. We’ve been getting quite a few messages of concern, we weren’t on that flight, we’re every dwelling protected. Our hearts break this morning for all the households affected by this, our concepts and prayers are with them.”

Kaitlin Hawayek said she “took an early flight out” from Wichita, writing that her “coronary coronary heart it’s utterly broken.” “The skating group just isn’t going to be the equivalent,” she added partially in an announcement shared to her Tales.

Equally, Alisa Efimova wrote on her Tales that she and her confederate, Misha Mitrofanov, returned from Wichita on Monday. “There aren’t any phrases that may ease the ache from the horrors of ultimate night,” she continued. “The least we’re in a position to do, is respect each others boundaries and keep away from gossip and speculation.”

Decide skating skilled Jackie Wong, within the meantime, posted a touching assertion on X following the tragedy. “The skating group is small – a lot of folks know each other or know of each other,” he wrote. “What occurred remaining night was devastating. Please protect the households and members of the family of all involved in your concepts. Be good to 1 one different.”

Olympic alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin moreover took to X to react to the horrific crash. “My coronary coronary heart goes out to your full decide skating group after the tragic and devastating loss,” she said.

Within the meantime, President Donald Trump issued an announcement on his Actuality Social, writing, “The airplane was on a great and routine line of technique to the airport. The helicopter was going straight on the airplane for an extended time interval. It’s a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the airplane have been blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or flip. Why didn’t the administration tower inform the helicopter what to do instead of asking within the occasion that they observed the airplane.”

“This could be a harmful state of affairs that seems choose it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!,” he concluded.

All through a press conference on Thursday morning, Trump blamed selection, equity and inclusion packages, or DEI, for the tragic accident, whereas moreover noting that “we don’t know what led to this crash, nonetheless now we have now very sturdy opinions.”

When a reporter requested why he received right here “to the conclusion that selection” was involved, he said, “Because of I’ve widespread sense and sadly a lot of folks don’t.”

Trump moreover generally known as former President Joe Biden’s Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, “bulls–t.”

Biden, within the meantime, shared an announcement on X throughout the wake of the crash, writing, “Jill and I are praying for the households of the victims who tragically misplaced their lives throughout the airplane and helicopter crash near DCA. We’re immensely grateful to the brave first responders and emergency personnel on the scene.”

Former President Barack Obama moreover expressed his condolences.

“Our hearts break for the households who misplaced members of the family throughout the tragic airplane and helicopter crash at DCA,” he wrote on X. “Michelle and I ship our prayers and condolences to all people who’s mourning presently, and we’re grateful to the first responders who’re doing all of the items they are going to to help beneath terribly troublesome circumstances.”

See completely different reactions from politicians and politician figures throughout the posts beneath.