Recovery operations are still underway to retrieve and identify the bodies of the 67 people who are presumed dead after a passenger plane crashed into an army helicopter in Washington DC.
The mid-air collision happened on Wednesday night as the passenger plane, travelling from Wichita, Kansas approached Ronald Reagan Airport to land.
It collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on a training flight, before both planes fell into the Potomac River.
There were 64 people on board the passenger plane, including four crew members, and three soldiers in the military helicopter.
Of the 41 bodies recovered from the Potomac River, some have been identified and their families informed.
Here are some of the victims of the tragedy identified so far.
Ice skater Jinna Han and her mother Jin Han
The Skating Club of Boston confirmed the deaths of 13-year-old Jinna Han and her mother, Jin.
She was featured on the club’s TikTok page along with fellow skater Ela Cui, practising their twirls without skates on.
“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” Doug Zeghibe, CEO and Executive Director of the club, said in a statement.
“Everyone is like family… We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
Ice skater Spencer Lane and his mother Christine Lane
Spencer Lane, 16, and his Christine were also identified as victims of the crash by The Skating Club of Boston.
US Figure Skating confirmed that several skaters, coaches and family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the national championships, which wrapped up on Sunday in Wichita.
Doug Zeghibe of the Skating Club of Boston said: “Spencer in the best way possible is a crazy kid. Highly talented, like incredibly talented, has not been skating that long and just rocketing to the top of the sport. Very fun, very cerebral.”
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov
Married couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were confirmed as victims by the Kremlin.
The Russian skaters were 1994 world pairs champions but moved to the US where they launched successful coaching careers.
The couple coached junior ice skaters including Spencer Lane, who was also on the plane,
They are survived by their son Maxim Naumov, who recently won fourth place at the US men’s figure skating championships.
Jonathan Campos
The captain of the American Airlines flight, Jonathan Campos, was also killed.
“He was an amazing person,” his relative Edward Campos told CNN. “He loved flying. He loved his family.”
Samuel Lilley
First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28, was engaged and preparing for his wedding in the autumn.
“I was so proud when Sam became a pilot,” his father Timothy Lilley, wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“Now it hurts so bad I can’t even cry myself to sleep. I know I’ll see him again but my heart is breaking.”
He later told US news outlet FOX 5 Atlanta: “It is so devastating to lose someone that is loved so much… This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life.”
Ian Epstein
Flight attendant Ian Epstein, 53, was also among the victims.
“My brother was a wonderful, wonderful man,” his sister Robbie Bloom said.
“He loved life. He loved travelling. He loved his job. He loved his family. And he will be sorely missed.”
Asra Hussain Raza
Asra Hussain Raza, 26, travelled to Wichita twice a month for work.
Her father-in-law, Dr. Hashim Raza, told CNN she was among the victims.
Speaking to the US news outlet WUSA a few hours after the crash, her husband Hammad Raza said he was praying that “someone is pulling her out of the river right now”.
When asked about the last time he spoke to his wife, Raza said: “She texted me that they were landing in 20 minutes.” He even showed their conversation on his phone.
But when his replies didn’t go through, he knew something was wrong.
Kiah Duggins
Civil rights lawyer and Harvard Law graduate Kiah Duggins was one of the victims, her family confirmed to US news outlet KWCH.
“We are coming to terms with the grief associated with the loss of our beautiful and accomplished firstborn. Please respect our family’s privacy at this time,” the statement read.
Duggins had been visiting family in Wichita, Kansas, and was on her way home to the Washington DC area when the crash happened.
A 2021 Harvard Law graduate, Duggins served as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and most recently worked as a lawyer with the Civil Rights Corps in Washington.
This autumn, she was set to begin a new role as a professor at Howard University School of Law.
Andrew Eaves
Chief Warrant Officer 2, Andrew Eaves from Mississippi, has been identified as the pilot of the Black Hawk Army helicopter that collided with the American Airlines flight.
His wife, Carrie Eaves, confirmed his death in a Facebook post.
“I am sure by now all of you have heard the news of the tragedy that has occurred in DC,” her post read.
“My husband was one of the pilots in the Blackhawk. We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve.”
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves on Thursday night wrote on X: “Mississippi is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was killed in last night’s accident at Reagan National Airport.”
Grace Maxwell
Cedarville University in Ohio said one of the passengers on the plane was 20-year-old Grace Maxwell, who was studying for a degree in mechanical engineering.
Maxwell’s father, Dean Maxwell, said she was returning to campus from her home in Wichita after attending her grandfather’s funeral, The Wichita Eagle reported.
During her recent study term, she had been working on a project to develop a hand-stabilising device to help a local boy feed himself independently, Cedarville University said in a statement.
“Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering,” her secondary advisor, Tim Norman, said.
Sergeant Ryan Austin O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves
The US Army released the names of two of the three soldiers onboard the Black Hawk military helicopter.
Ryan O’Hara, 28, from Lilburn, Georgia, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, from Great Mills, Maryland, died in the crash.
Eaves was the instructor pilot on board and had about 1,000 flight hours, according to Army official Jonathan Koziol.
The third soldier’s name is not being released at the request of their family, but it is known that they were co-piloting the Black Hawk and had about 500 flight hours, according to the US Army.
O’Hara is being remembered by a fellow service member as “one of the finest, most disciplined, committed trainers” he has ever worked with.
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