Daughter of Indian immigrants, two Chinese nationals, skaters, their mothers and coaches: What we know about victims of Washington DC plane crash

A midair collision between an American Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people on board both aircraft, officials said on Thursday. Investigators are examining the actions of the military pilot in what is the country’s deadliest aviation accident in nearly 25 years.
At least 40 bodies had been recovered as of Thursday evening from the Potomac River, where the helicopter is believed to have flown into the path of an American Airlines regional jet late on Wednesday (local time). The crash happened as the plane was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, located across the river from Washington, officials said. The jet carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while three soldiers were on the Army helicopter.
US President Donald Trump said at a White House news conference that there were no survivors.
“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in Washington, DC.
The crash happened before 9 pm in airspace near the White House and the Capitol, which is among the most closely monitored in the world.
Officials said air crash investigations can take months, and federal investigators declined to speculate on the cause.


The victims included teen figure (more than 12) skaters, their mothers, and their coaches, an Ohio college student returning from her grandfather’s funeral, two Chinese nationals, and a group of hunters coming back from a trip in Kansas.
Daughter of Indian immigrant among victims of Washington plane crash
Asra Hussain Raza, 26, was one of the victims who died, CNN reported.
Hussain Raza, the daughter of Indian immigrants, graduated with honors from Indiana University in 2020 and married her college mate in August 2023, her father-in-law Hashim Raza was quoted as saying by CNN.
She worked as a consultant in Washington, DC, and traveled to Wichita twice a month for a hospital turnaround project, her father-in-law said.
Figure skaters and coaches
Two teenage figure skaters, their mothers, and two former world champions who were coaching at a historic Boston club were among the 14 members of the skating community killed.
The Skating Club of Boston confirmed that skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were among those who died. Their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, as well as their coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia, also lost their lives, said club CEO Doug Zeghibe.
Han and Lane, who was about 16, had been returning from the US Figure Skating Championships.
More young athletes and coaches
Skating organizations in Philadelphia and the Washington area said other young skaters were also on the flight.
Several athletes on board had attended a development camp held after the US Figure Skating Championships, which ended Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.
Two Chinese nationals among victims
Two Chinese nationals were among the victims of the midair collision in Washington, Beijing said on Friday.
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said that "preliminary verification" confirmed the deaths of two Chinese citizens in the accident.
"China expresses deep condolences to the victims and extends sincere sympathies to the bereaved families," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that China has asked the US to provide updates on the search and rescue efforts, determine the cause of the accident quickly, and handle related matters properly.