Local Voices
Chicago Area Figure Skaters Mourn Friends Who Died When Plane, Helicopter Collided Over D.C.
"Skating is a very small, tight-knit community," said skater Rebecca Lichtman. "We're all around each other."
January 31, 2025
BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. (CBS) -- The plane that crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. after colliding in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night was transporting some passengers returning home from a development camp held in connection with the U.S. Figure Skating championships.
Find out what's happening in Buffalo Grovefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The tragedy has had a massive impact on Chicago's figure skating community.
The first thing Chicago area figure skaters said Thursday was that they were in shock. The athletes are all in group chats and follow each other on social media, so it didn't take long to figure out that American Eagle Flight No. 5342 was carrying their friends home from the event they all attended in Wichita, Kansas.
