Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025

American ice skater Anton Spiridonov 'was not on' the plane that collided with an Army helicopter

American Airlines Flight 5342 was on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia when the plane and a Black Hawk helicopter collided Jan. 29.


American ice skater Anton Spiridonov 'was not on' the plane that collided with an Army helicopter
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"I was NOT on this flight, thank you for everyone's concern for my safety. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this tragedy." 

Spiridonov won the silver medal at the World University Games in 2023. He also finished sixth at the U.S. Championships that same year. Spiridonov also paid tribute to his father's former "skating partner," Inna Volyanskaya. 

"Dads skating partner," he wrote on a post to his Instagram story. "Rest in peace, Inna."

Authorities confirmed there were three U.S. service members aboard the Army Black Hawk helicopter when the aircraft departed Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The airfield is located about 15 miles southwest of Reagan Washington National.

The passenger jet and the military helicopter both crashed into the Potomac River as the commercial plane was approaching one of the airport runways. In a news conference Thursday morning, officials confirmed that 27 bodies from the plane and one from the Black Hawk helicopter had been pulled from the frigid waters.

U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that "several members of our skating community" were aboard the flight. The organization said they were returning home from a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded Sunday.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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