More information is being reveled about the victims of Wednesday night's horrific American Airlines plane crash in Washington D.C. at Reagan National Airport.
At least 30 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a devastating mid-air collision over Washington, DC, that claimed the lives of a well-known TikTok skating star who was only 13, an acclaimed athlete couple, and the entire flight crew.
Among the victims of the airplane crash are sisters Everly and Alydia Livingston, ages 14 and 11 years old respectively. Their deaths were first reported by skating website Golden Skate and they are among the multiple skaters who were on board the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas.
Both sisters were members of the Washington Figure Skating Club and would often share their figure skating routines via social media and went by the handle @ice_skating_sisters.
In their final Instagram post just five days before the crash the girls could be seen at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held in Wichita, Kansas.
16-year-old figure skater Spencer Lane and fellow skater Jinna Han, 13, were also among the victims of the crash. The two were traveling home from a figure skating event in Wichita, Kansas. Their mothers were also on board.
The deadly crash, which occurred Wednesday night over the Potomac River, involved an American Airlines flight carrying 60 passengers and four crew members and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. Officials confirmed that all 64 people aboard the plane perished.
Russian figure skating champions and famed athlete couple Evgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, were also on board. Fairfax County school officials confirmed that three unidentified students and six parents, including two staff members, were among those killed.
Authorities began recovering bodies from the crash site early Thursday, with DC Fire Chief John Donnelly reporting that at least 28 had been found so far. The bodies of all four crew members were among those recovered, including one who had been just months away from both a promotion and their wedding.
Wendy Jo Shaffer was a mother of two boys and devoted wife to her husband Nate Shaffer. Nate said in a statement to PEOPLE Magazine that his wife had a “unwavering spirit."
“I’m still waiting to wake up from this nightmare, but I fear this is the truth,” he said in a statement on Thursday; a family member confirmed his note to PEOPLE.
Mother of Spencer Lane, Christine Lane of Rhode Island was also on board, accompanying her son to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Kiah Duggins was a former Miss Kansas and had been visiting her mom in her hometown of Wichita but was returning to Washington DC, where she worked for Civil Rights Corps.
Famed Disney on Ice skater and actress Inna Volyanskaya, 59, was also among the victims. She competitively skated for the Soviet Union and performed for Disney on Ice as Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Belle and Ariel, according to her coaching biography.
"She was one of the best skaters I've ever seen, honestly. She was one of the best pair girls to skate,' Volyanskaya's ex-husband, Ross Lansel, told News4.
"Just knowing the impact she made to all the skaters and everyone just hurts my soul, and just I wish all those kids that she taught, just my condolences, and I wish them — all my prayers go out to them," he said.
"I wish them the best of life and everything because I know it's going to be so hard without her. It's tough because as a figure skating coach, you mean a lot to these kids and you're like the individual person for them.
The American Airlines jet, Flight 5342, had been on final approach to Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with the Black Hawk, sending debris raining down over the river and nearby areas. Investigators are now working to piece together what led to the catastrophic accident.
American Airlines confirmed late Wednesday night that 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the flight.
Emergency sources told NBC Washington that the plane broke into two pieces after colliding with the Blackhawk.
Both aircrafts were in the water and the plane was reported to be in several pieces, according to local officials.
American Airline's CEO Robert Isom expressed his "sorrow" for the victims of the crash and their families and said he was preparing to travel to Washington D.C.
“First and most importantly, I’d like to express our deep sorrow about these events," Isom said in a video statement about the crash. "This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.”
The Associated Press reported less than 30 seconds before the collision, air traffic recordings show controllers asking the helicopter if it has the plane in sight and instructing it to pass behind the landing aircraft.
A crewmember on the helicopter replies that “the aircraft is in sight” and requests “visual separation” with the incoming plane, allowing it to fly closer than may otherwise be allowed if the pilots didn’t see the plane. The controllers approved the request.
About 20 seconds later, a commotion is heard on the audio, and seconds after that, controllers begin diverting aircraft away from the disaster scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. It was reported on Thursday that one of the "Black Boxes" was recovered from the wreckage of the plane in the Potomac River.
Below is the full list of victims verified so far but rescue efforts continue Thursday evening and more are likely to be identified. Some of their ages have not been verified.
Spencer and Christine Lane
Grace Maxwell
Evgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56
Jinna and Jin Han
Asra Hussain, 26
Samuel Lilley - First Officer
Jonathan Campos - Captain
Danasia Elder and Ian Epstein - Flight Attendants
Ryan O'Hara - Black Hawk Crew
Mark Stovall, 40
Jesse Pitcher, 30
Inna Volyanskaya, 59
Wendy Shaffer
Alexandr Kirsanov
Sean Kay and Angela Yang
Donna Smojice Livingston, Peter Livingston, Everly Livingston and Alydia Livingston
Natalya Gudin
Alexandr Kirsanov,
Kiah Duggins
Elizabeth Keys
Sarah Lee Best
Chief Warrant Officer 2, Andrew Eaves-Blackhawk Pilot
Brielle Beyer, 12, and Justyna Beyer, 42
Pergentino N. Malabed
Vikesh Patel
Casey Crafton
Melissa Nicandri
Olivia Ter
Jonathan Boyd, 40
Lori and Bob Schrock
Cory Haynos, Roger Haynos and Stephanie Branton Haynos
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