A young American figure skater was saved from the doomed American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter after he was barred from boarding due to his dog being too large.
Jon Maravilla was supposed to be one of the passengers on Flight 5342, which crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., following a midair collision with a Black Hawk helicopter just before 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The figure skater shared with RIA Novosti that after being told he couldn’t bring his dog on the flight, he decided to travel by car instead. He escaped the deadly crash but his co-skaters were not so lucky like him.
Lucky Escape
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Maravilla shared his experience on his Instagram story Wednesday, writing: “Not allowed past gate to board flight. Get me tf out of Kansas please.” In an update from the road at 12:23, he posted: “The 14-hour journey begins.”
Maravilla told RIA Novosti that the flight had at least 14 figure skaters on board, along with coaches and parents.
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There are no expected survivors from the crash, as the plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three people on board.
“What a tragedy,” Maravilla told the Russian outlet, according to a transcription by The New York Times.
Maravilla, the 2025 U.S. junior pairs bronze medalist with his partner Saya Carpenter, shared details of his journey on his private Instagram account, as seen in screenshots.
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American Airlines Flight 5342, traveling from Wichita to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, had several U.S. figure skaters and coaches on board after attending the National Development Camp at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita from January 20 to 26.
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.
Skating World Shocked
“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.
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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.”
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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.
Officials told CBS News that at least 19 bodies have been recovered from the river.
The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three soldiers on board.
