Teens from a Boston skating group, their moms, and coaches among passengers killed in air crash

A disaster involving an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter killed young figure skaters returning from a national meet with their moms and coaches, as well as a crew of union steamfitters from the Washington, D.C. region.

The flight included 60 passengers and four crew members, and an Army officer stated three troops were on board the helicopter.

The deaths of some members of the US figure skating community brought up memories of the 1961 aircraft disaster that killed all 18 members of the US figure skating team traveling to the international figure skating championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

A married couple of skating champions, two young skaters, and their moms were among those killed in the aircraft accident Wednesday night, the Skating Club of Boston announced Thursday. US Figure Skating said that young athletes were also on board, having returned from a developing camp following the US championships in Wichita. The organization has yet to establish the overall number of skaters killed.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” read a statement from the organization, America’s governing body for figure skating. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said her organization was "devastated" by the incident.

More than 60 years ago, an aircraft tragedy killed not just great competitors but also their mentors, creating seismic holes in US figure skating for future generations. The lineup included US ice dance champions Diane Carol Sherbloom and Larry Pierce, Olympic couples skaters Maribel Yerxa Owen and Dudley Shaw Richards, and Owen's mother, famous instructor Maribel Yerxa Vinson-Owen.

Wednesday's incident also brought up memories of an Air Florida jet that crashed into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, killing 78 people.