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Two aircraft collided midair near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night in a catastrophic crash that left no survivors, according to authorities. Some of those killed in the collision had roots in the D.C. area, including students who attended school in Fairfax County and their parents, according to the school system’s superintendent. Members of the figure skating community were also among the passengers on the flight. Authorities said they are working to recover the bodies of the 64 people who were on an American Airlines flight. The plane and a military Black Hawk helicopter collided before the passenger aircraft crashed into the Potomac River. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter and their bodies have been recovered.

‘We will never forget them’: Figure skating community mourns

At least 14 people from the figure skating community were on board when the passenger flight plunged into the Potomac’s icy waters after the collision. Among them were two teenage figure skaters, their mothers from Boston and two world champion coaches from Russia. “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,” U.S. Figure Skating wrote in a statement.

Inna Volyanskaya, a figure skating coach in Ashburn, Virginia, was also on the flight, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam confirmed in a social media post. There’s around 20 bouquets of flowers placed above a bench at the facility where she coached, the Ashburn Ice House.  The business wrote on its website, “It is with heavy hearts that we have learned that our figure skating community has been directly affected.” According to her biography online, Volyanskaya was a competitive skater herself and became a coach more than 20 years ago. She was an acclaimed pair skater with the Soviet Union National Team and went on to perform as Ariel with Disney on Ice. While officials have not confirmed any additional skaters from Northern Virginia lost their lives, some local skaters are speaking out about others who they said were on the flight.  With her father, Jeff, by her side, a young skater, Alexis Winch, told reporters about her loss outside of Ashburn Ice House, where she’s been training for seven years. Alexis said among those on the flight was a skater who wanted to make it to the Olympics and one who could “do triples.” “They were my inspiration,” Alexis said. The day after the collision, Jeff said his daughter “came to grieve” at the facility, which was mostly empty, outside of a few skaters practicing. “Supposed to be a tough guy, but I guess I’m not right now at all,” Jeff said. Ilia Malinin, a Fairfax teen nicknamed the “quad god” for his quadruple jumps, shared his condolences to the skating community. “I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of my fellow skaters in this devastating accident,” said Malinin, a three-time U.S. and reigning world champion. “The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is beyond words. My thoughts are with their families, friends and everyone affected. We will never forget them.” In a Facebook post, Fairfax Ice Arena, another ice rink in Northern Virginia that hosts figure skaters, also gave its condolences.

Howard University professor was one of the victims

Kiah Duggins, who was going to start as a law professor at Howard University, was among the victims of the deadly plane-helicopter crash. The Wichita, Kansas, native was flying back to D.C. where she was an attorney for the Civil Rights Corps and would have started a new chapter at Howard’s School of Law this fall. The university said in a statement that Duggins was a civil rights lawyer who “dedicated her career to fighting against unconstitutional policing and unjust money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C.”

President Ben Vinson III said the school community is dealing with profound sadness and is asking for privacy and respect for Duggins’ family, students and colleagues. Duggins earned a bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University. While at Wichita State, she was a White House intern under former first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let Girls Learn” initiative. She then earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and was the president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. According to the nonprofit Civil Rights Corps, while lawyering as a fellow for the Law for Black Lives movement, Duggins studied prison industrial complex abolition and movement. She would love to travel and dance, the organization said.

‘May they forever rest in peace’: DC-area school systems, employers share in loss

Superintendent Michelle Reid said nine members of the Fairfax County Public Schools community are among those who died. Three students and six parents were on board the flight — two of those parents were current or former school system staff members, Reid said in an updated statement Thursday afternoon. “We must remain sensitive to the privacy needs and concerns for those who are directly involved. Therefore, we are not releasing specific information such as names out of care for those who are directly involved at this time,” Reid said. Reid said that a “deep sense of grief” has been felt in the FCPS community and support and connection is encouraged. “It’s important to come together, to share resources, to share support, to be present for one another, and often simply to listen to the concerns and really the deep-seated grief and fear that many in our community are feeling right now,” Reid said. Reid said FCPS will be offering counseling services at its schools as well as links to helpful resources on its website. Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence confirmed multiple victims were former students in the school system. Spence also did not provide any further details on victims and said counseling services in his school system would be offered. Four members of the UA Local 602 union were on the flight, according to a joint statement from United Association president Mark McManus and business manager Chris Madello. The union represents people who work on heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and process piping. “These members will be forever in our hearts, and may God bless them and their loved ones. May they forever rest in peace,” a joint statement reads from McManus and Madello. This is a developing story. Stick with WTOP for the latest.