The couple's son finished fourth last week at the U.S. national championships in Wichita, Kansas. He was not on the same flight that crashed.

Members of the United States figure skating community were on board an aeroplane that crashed near Washington DC, the country's governing organisation for the sport says.

Two teenage figure skaters, their mothers, and two former world champions who were coaching at a historic Boston club were among the 14 members of the skating community killed when an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac

The International Skating Union ISU has expressed its shock at an airplane crash that occurred in the United States on Wednesday evening with sever

A massive search operation is underway after a passenger aircraft carrying 64 people collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, DC, according to aviation and defense officials.

The governing body of figure skating in the U.S. said team members were on the American Airlines passenger jet that collided with an Army helicopter.

As news trickled out about the victims of the Washington D.C. plane crash, the figure skating community mourned several of its own.

Locals in Wichita have expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support as they continue to grapple with the tragedy.

The two Russian figure skating coaches killed in the American Airlines crash were two-time Olympians and former world champions in the pairs event.

Rabbi Shmulik Greenberg of Chabad Lubavitch of Wichita spoke to the Oklahoman about the community's resilience in the crash's aftermath

"This is going to be really hard on our skating community for a very, very long time," said Wichita Skating Club President Jolene Taylor. "You don't think that tomorrow they might not be here."

Two teenage figure skaters, their mothers and two world champion coaches from Boston were among the 14 members of the skating community killed when an American Airlines flight collided with an