A collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C., has claimed the lives of two promising young Korean-American figure skaters, their mothers, and 63 others.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), at approximately 8:53 p.m. EST on January 29, American Eagle Flight 5342, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, plunging into the Potomac River.
Authorities confirmed that all 67 people—64 aboard the plane, including four crew members, and three aboard the helicopter—were killed in the crash.
![Spencer Lane (16, left) and Jinna Han (16, right), promising young figure skaters. [Photo: Skating Club of Boston / Facebook]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Group-3604.jpg)
Among the passengers were 14 skaters, coaches, and family members affiliated with U.S. Figure Skating, including members of the Skating Club of Boston. CNN and Reuters, citing a statement from U.S. Figure Skating, reported that 14 skaters, coaches, and family members affiliated with the organization were on board.
The Skating Club of Boston confirmed that the crash claimed the lives of 13-year-old Jinna Han and 16-year-old Spencer Lane, both Korean-American figure skaters, along with their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane. Also among the deceased were their coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former world champions who won gold at the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships.
The victims were returning home after participating in the National Development Camp, a prestigious training event for top young figure skaters, held after the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Han and her mother had planned to travel back to Boston via Reagan Airport.
According to CBS News and Boston’s WCVB5, Jinna Han was a standout skater from Mansfield, Massachusetts. She placed fourth at the 2025 Eastern Sectional Singles Final in November and won first place at the 2024 National Qualifying Series (NQS) Boston competition. Han was selected for the National Development Camp, a highly selective training program for elite young skaters handpicked by U.S. Figure Skating’s High Performance Development Committee.
Jonah Sobieraj, a fellow skater who had known Han for seven years, described her as “always smiling, with incredible talent and big dreams.”
Nicole Shin, the mother of U.S. national team skater Audrey Shin, told reporters, “Jinna was so skilled that she was invited to the camp every year. I often met her and her mother at these events. This news is heartbreaking.”
According to The Washington Post, Spencer Lane was adopted from South Korea at 10 months old by Christine and Douglas Lane, who later also adopted his younger brother, Milo.
Lane attended Barrington High School in Rhode Island until late 2023, when he transitioned to full-time training in figure skating. His mother was known for her unwavering support of his training.
Lane was a rising star, winning first place at the 2025 Eastern Sectional Singles Final, the 2024 NQS Providence Open, and the 2024 NQS Philadelphia Summer Championship. Inspired by figure skating videos on YouTube, he worked his way to being selected for the National Development Camp, just like Han.
His father, Douglas Lane, told CBS News, “Spencer’s energy was incredible—everyone at the club adored him. My wife was one of the kindest people, always offering help to those around her.”
WCVB5 reported on a press conference at the Tenley Albright Performance Center, where Han and Lane trained. The local skating community was devastated by the loss of two promising athletes and their families.
Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston, said, “This morning, we received the most heartbreaking news. These kids were so dedicated that they and their parents spent seven days a week at the rink. We have lost members of our family.”
Robert Wargo, superintendent of Barrington Public Schools, issued a statement saying,
“The entire Barrington community loved Christine and Spencer Lane. We mourn with them. Spencer had such a bright future, and this is an unimaginable loss.”
The two skaters’ coaches, Shishkova and Naumov, were renowned figures in the sport, having coached elite skaters for decades, with strong ties to the Skating Club of Boston since 2017.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM, YOONJAE JUNG
[kim.ian@koreadaily.com, jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]
