CT Man — Father Of 3 Young Kids — Killed In DC Plane Crash

SALEM, CT — Connecticut is mourning the death of Casey Crafton, of Salem, who was killed when an American Airlines passenger flight and a military helicopter crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night, according to a state official.

State Sen. Martha Marx announced on social media that Crafton was killed in the tragedy.

"The airline tragedy in Washington, D.C., last night has deeply impacted our Salem community. Casey Crafton—husband of Rachel and father to their three sons—was among the passengers on the American Airlines flight from Kansas that went down in the Potomac River. According to media reports and government sources, there are no survivors," Marx wrote. "My heart goes out to the Crafton-Gadbois family during this unimaginable time. I ask our community to keep them in your prayers as they navigate this profound loss."

The Salem CT Little League wrote "Our small town is heartbroken by a devastating tragedy involving one of our beloved Little League members. The Crafton family, deeply involved in all things Salem, has suffered an unimaginable loss. With heavy hearts, we share the news that Casey Crafton tragically passed away in the horrific airline crash in Washington DC. Please keep his family close to your hearts and in your prayers during this difficult time."

The community has created a Meal Train page for the family, and more than $23,000 has been raised as of Thursday night. (You can view the page here).

"My heart goes out to the Crafton-Gadbois family after the tragic loss of Casey Crafton in yesterday’s plane crash," Gov. Ned Lamont wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday night. "Salem has lost a dedicated father, husband, and community member. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time."

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, wrote on X, "I’m thinking of Casey Crafton & his loved ones during this deeply difficult time of unimaginable loss. I am confident that Salem will come together to support each other & remember this devoted father, husband, & community member."

A total of 67 people died in the crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. More than 40 bodies have been removed from the water as of late Thursday afternoon, CNN reported.

The American Airlines passenger flight and a UH-60 Black Hawk, with a crew of three, collided about 8:48 p.m. Wednesday night in clear weather conditions.

Staffing in the air traffic control tower was "not normal" at the time of the midair collision near Washington, according to a Federal Aviation Administration report obtained by the Associated Press. Details on this development can be found here.

See related: DC Plane Crash Updates: Over 40 Bodies Recovered As Search Pauses

• DC Plane Crash Timeline: Helicopter Told To Reroute Before Collision
• Olympians, Students Among DC Plane Crash Victims

Earlier on Thursday, it was revealed that two former Russian figure skating stars from the 1990s who once worked at a Simsbury skating center and may have lived in the town were on board.

Both Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, Russian nationals who moved to Simsbury in the 1990s, are presumed dead after the crash.

The husband-and-wife team were champion pairs skaters in the 1990s, competing in both the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

They failed to medal in the Olympics, but the couple did earn a bronze medal in the 1993 World Figure Skating Championships and won gold in the 1994 World Championships, the second-most prestigious competition behind the Olympics.

According to the Dec. 21, 2007 article on NewEngland.com, the couple turned professional in 1998 and, eventually, settled down in Simsbury to work at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in their new hometown.

Constructed in the mid-1990s, the ISCC put Simsbury on the map when 1994 Olympic gold medalist Oksana Baiul moved to Connecticut and trained there.

Patch editors Deb Belt and Michael Lemanski contributed to this story.