Alexandria Mother, Figure Skater Daughter Killed In D.C. Plane Crash

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A mother and daughter from Alexandria were among the victims identified in the deadly plane crash with a military helicopter last Wednesday night.

Olivia Ter, 12, and Olesya Taylor, 50, were on the American Eagle Flight 5342 that a military helicopter collided with near Reagan National Airport, the Washington Post reported. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the flight, and three military members were on the helicopter.

American Airlines has not yet released the names of the 64 passengers and crew who died, but relatives have identified some victims to media outlets. As of Monday, bodies of 55 of the 64 people have been identified.

According to the Post, the mother and daughter were leaving the national development camp in Wichita, Kansas, like numerous others from the figure skating community on the flight. There were an estimated 28 figure skaters, family members and coaches lost in the plane crash.

Andrew Ter, the father and husband of the victims, told the Washington Post he was working on a new house for the family. On the night of the plane crash, Olesya Taylor sent a text that the plane was landing. He waited at the airport and saw the emergency response. The next day, he got confirmation that Olesya Taylor's body was identified.

Andrew Ter, is an Armenian refugee from Azerbaijan, and Olesya Taylor was from Ukraine. Their other daughter, Anne Valerie, was not on the Wichita trip.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to support Andrew Ter, Anne Valerie, and Olesya Taylor's mother, Olga.

Taylor, who sought to become a neonatologist, came to the U.S. after her father's death from cancer. She met and married Ter and became a mother. As reported by the Post, she was always willing to help out friends and volunteered at a medical clinic for people experiencing homeless.

Olivia Ter's father said she was passionate about figure skating and was coached by Ilia Kulik, a Russian figure skater and Olympic medalist. Maria Elena Pinto, her coach at Leesburg's Ion International Skating Center, said Ter was on the path to the Olympics.

Olivia Ter, "will be remembered as always being cheerful with an infectious laugh and being a talented figure skater," the Ion Figure Skating Club said in a statement. She won medals at two National Qualifying Series events in the season. By placing fourth in the juvenile girls division at the 2025 Eastern Sectional Singles Final, she got an invitation to the national development camp in Wichita.

SEE ALSO:

• DC Plane Crash: 55 Of 64 Victims Found, Last-Second Change In Plane
• GoFundMe Will Help NoVA Skaters' Families Tied To DC Plane Crash
• Fairfax County Figure Skaters Among Plane Crash Victims: What We Know
• Loudoun Families Among D.C. Plane Crash Victims: What We Know