Two of the youngest victims of the tragic Washington, DC, plane crash have been identified as promising youth ice skaters Angela Yang and Sean Kay. The duo, along with their coach Alexandr Kirsanov and his wife, were on the ill-fated flight returning from the US Figure Skating Championships and National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas, as reported by the Delaware News Journal.
Yang and Kay were members of The University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, which had shared a social media post on January 21 celebrating their participation in the camp. Just hours before the crash, Yang posted photos from her time in Wichita, writing, “Had so so much fun at camp!!! I’m really gonna miss my friends and all the great coaches! I can’t wait for next year!” She also expressed her joy at watching fellow skaters perform, saying, “It was a lot of fun watching all the skaters at Kansas! I had a lot of fun sitting with my friends watching amazing skaters! I wish I could watch it all over again!”
The young skaters had recently won first place in several categories at the 2025 Midwestern Sectional Singles & U.S. Ice Dance competition in Plano, Texas, last November. Yang had shared her excitement on Instagram, posting a photo of herself in a pink sequin dress during the juvenile dance final and captioning it, “I am so happy with our results at our first finals together!”
US Figure Skating confirmed that several skaters, coaches, and family members were on the flight, which was returning from the National Development Camp. In a statement, the organization expressed its devastation, saying, “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
The crash also claimed the lives of two teenage figure skaters, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers, and two former world champions, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia, who were coaching at the Skating Club of Boston. Lane, 16, a sectionals champion with a significant social media following, had posted a video of himself performing a triple toe loop at the camp just before the tragedy. In an Instagram post, he shared his excitement about qualifying for the camp, writing, “I am so happy to have qualified for national development camp. It has been my goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing. I learned so much new information that I can apply to my everyday life, and met so many amazing people.”
The American Airlines flight, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with a Blackhawk helicopter during a routine landing approach, killing all on board both aircraft. Officials confirmed that flight conditions were clear at the time, but the cause of the collision remains under investigation. The skating community and families of the victims are left mourning the loss of these talented individuals.
