A family of four, including two sisters who competed in a national figure skating championship in Wichita, Kansas, were among the victims of the tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C., according to relatives. Virginia residents Donna Livingston and her husband, Peter, along with their daughters, Everly, 11, and Alydia, 14, were named as victims the devastating collision.
The two adorable and talented sisters were members of the Washington Figure Skating Club and would regularly post videos of their energetic training sessions on Instagram under the username @ice_skating_sisters. In their final Instagram post, the two were seen smiling in front of the ice at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
Untimely Deaths of Two Talented Skaters
“We were born ready for this but is @usfigureskating ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?” the heartbreaking photo caption reads.
According to relatives who spoke to WJACTV.com, Donna was originally from central Pennsylvania and attended school in the Westmont Hilltop District before relocating to Virginia, where she met Peter, a Richmond native.
She worked in marketing for Comcast Business and most recently lived with her family in Ashburn, Virginia, as noted on her Facebook page.
According to The Burn, a local news outlet covering Ashburn, Peter Livingston was a dedicated father who built an ice skating rink in his yard each winter to support his daughters’ training.
At least 14 figure skaters were reportedly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it crashed into a military helicopter and fell into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.
Russian state-owned media reported that world champion pair Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were among the passengers.
The couple are listed as coaches for their son, Maxim Naumov, who finished fourth in the Men’s Free Skate Championship event.
“Once again, Maxim made us all proud, getting on to the podium at Nationals after 7th place in the short. This beautiful and emotional performance is a result of a team work,” the couple posted to Instagram Monday.
Naumov and Shishkova won the gold medal in pairs skating at the 1994 World Championships.
It remains unclear whether their 23-year-old son was traveling with them on the flight.
Tributes Pour In
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“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,” US Figure Skating said.
The International Skating Union, the global governing organization for multiple ice skating disciplines, expressed deep shock over the tragic incident.
“We are heartbroken to learn that Figure Skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” it said on X. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport — it’s a close-knit family — and we stand together.”
The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided with a Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter around 9 p.m. as it was approaching Runway 33 at Reagan National.
Disturbing footage captured the moment of impact, with the aircraft exploding into a massive orange fireball. The explosion lit up the night sky, and burning debris from the aircraft fell into the Potomac River.
The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three soldiers on board.
