What we know about the DC plane crash victims

(NewsNation) — As officials continue their search and recovery operation after an American Airlines regional jet collided with a military helicopter while preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., more than two dozen bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River.

Officials said 27 bodies were recovered from the jet, which was carrying 64 people, and one was pulled from the helicopter, which had three soldiers onboard. Crews fear there are no survivors, which would make it the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years.

D.C. fire and EMS chief John A. Donnelly said during a news conference Thursday that he’s confident all of the bodies from the crash will ultimately be recovered.

“I’m confident that we will do that,” he said. “It will take us a little bit of time. It may involve some more equipment.”

‘Multiple’ former students killed, Virginia district confirms

Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia announced that multiple victims were former students in the school system.

“Our hearts are heavy as we process the devastating news of last night’s tragic plane crash over the Potomac River involving an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter. This unimaginable loss has deeply affected our community, and with great sorrow, we have learned that multiple victims were former LCPS students,” the district said.

The district is located in Ashburn, Virginia, located roughly 30 miles outside of the District of Columbia.

Crew members killed in DC plane crash

First Officer Sam Lilley was one of the crew members killed in the crash, his father, Tim Lilley, confirmed to NewsNation.

Sam Lilley was a pilot for PSA, which is owned by American Airlines. He was a native of Richmond Hill, Georgia, Nexstar’s WSAV has learned.

“I was so proud when Sam became a pilot,” Tim Lilley wrote in WSAV. “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.”

Flight attendant Ian Epstein was also aboard the flight, his wife, Debi, confirmed to Nexstar’s WJZY.

“He died doing what he loved,” Epstein said Thursday, adding that her husband had switched careers five years ago so he could travel the world. Their daughter is set to get married in just eight weeks.

Other members of the flight crew have not yet been identified, but officials confirmed to WJZY that it was a Charlotte, North Carolina-based flight crew.

US figure skaters, coaches were on plane

A group of figure skaters and coaches were among the passengers of the American Airlines jet. Among them were two teenage figure skaters and their mothers.

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed that “several members of the skating community” and their family members were returning from a development camp held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. It did not provide more details.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the organization said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said Thursday that skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, and their mothers Jin and Christine were also on the plane.

Christine’s husband, Douglas, told Nexstar’s WPRI that Spencer and his younger brother, Milo, were adopted from South Korea. Douglas described Christina as a beautiful, creative person and their son Spencer as “a force of nature.”

“Whether he was in his home club in Boston, [Spencer] was just loved by everyone,” Douglas explained. “From adults running the club to smaller skaters, to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all adored him.”

In all, 14 of the victims were coming back from a national development camp for promising young skaters following the U.S. Championships in Wichita, Kansas, Zeghibe said.

Kremlin: Former champion Russian skaters killed

The Kremlin confirmed Thursday that Russian figure skaters and other Russian nationals were on the jet. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were aboard the plane.

The couple were coaches for Skating Club of Boston.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.

Maxim Naumov, the son of Shishkova and Naumov, had been in Wichita with his parents. He flew home on Monday, according to Zeghibe.

Other Russians were also on the jet, according to the Kremlin.

DC-area Steamfitters union says members were aboard

The Washington, D.C., branch of the Steamfitters union said four members were on board the American Airlines flight that crashed.

“The entire United Association is grateful to the first responders who worked tirelessly through the night, and who will continue to investigate what happened,” the post on X reads. “Our focus now is on providing support and care to the families of our Brothers as we continue to gather more information in the coming days. We will share more details as they become available, including a nationwide UA relief effort for the families. These members will be forever in our hearts, and may God bless them and their loved ones. May they forever rest in peace.”

Who else was aboard the flight?

The identities of the remaining passengers aboard the American Eagle flight have not been released.

Nexstar’s WJZY has learned a mother of two small children from Charlotte, North Carolina, was killed. She had been returning from a business trip and was set to have a layover in the District of Columbia.

DC plane crash: What to know

American Eagle Flight 5342 was en route from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard when it collided Wednesday with a UH-60 Black Hawk carrying three soldiers. Both aircraft went into the icy Potomac River, prompting a large search and rescue operation.

The midair crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. local time Wednesday, shutting down the airport until at least 11 a.m. Officials talked in terms of recovering the bodies of passengers rather than rescues.

There were no immediate reports on casualties or the cause of the collision, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport were halted as dive teams searched the site and helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene.

American Airlines has set up centers in D.C. and Wichita for people seeking information about relatives.

People who believe they have family members on the flights and are looking for further information are asked to call 800-697-8215.

NewsNation’s digital producer Michael Ramsey, correspondent Tom Dempsey, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.